Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1159832
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 25 AUGUST 2019 21 COMMERCIAL THE year 2019 was rather unusual in terms of climate, being characterised by relatively cool temperatures, which were slightly below average. Cooler than normal temperatures kept all the way up to the first week of June, after which average to normal summer temperatures started to manifest. Precipitation reached very good lev- els, with a normal to abundant rainfall reaching a total of 566mm recorded be- tween in the months of September '18 to date. Such conditions resulted in gener- ally good vine vigour, and a delayed bud- burst. The delay remained consistent all the way to the grape harvest, making this year's harvesting the latest ever recorded by the Marsovin Winery. One has to note that such maturity delays are not common to all varieties. Whilst early ripeners such as the Char- donnay variety have a two-week harvest- ing delay, the mid and late ripeners such as the Cabernet Sauvignon are not as late, with an expected one-week delay. Effects of a late harvest on the grape As a result of delayed grape maturation, grape varieties which are early ripeners are still expected to reach the required natural sugar levels, albeit with lower levels of acidity and aromatic profile, this means that 2019 will be all about rich and rounded whites with concentrated fruit flavours. On the other hand late ripeners mainly in the red varieties will have to be left even longer on the vine to reach a good level of maturity, the lower temperatures, shorter days and high hu- midity experienced in September will slow down grape maturity even more. At this point extra care to maintain the vines with adequate ventilation is of par- amount importance in order to prevent any fungal diseases to grow. General expectations for the new vintage Whilst the favourable climatic condi- tions were expected to result in good yields, in actual fact expected yields are lower than 2018 by around 20%. More- over the unexpected end May precipita- tion resulted in an outbreak of downey mildew especially on the indigenous varieties, with certain localities experi- encing losses of over 50%. This contin- ues to stress Marsovin's constant cry to plant more of our indigenous grape varieties which year on year continue to suffer decline in yields. Having an adequate amount of indigenous vines planted will be able to make up for and minimise the negative effect that short- ages of these varieties bring along due to droughts and other diseases as seen in recent years. In recent years we have seen increased market demands for the Girgentina and Ġellewża varieties which unfortunately cannot be sus- tained due to shortages of these varie- ties. However, such low yields and good foliage is expected to result in excep- tional quality wines. A good year ? In wine-making no single year is iden- tical, and that's what makes this indus- try so interesting and unique. Initial indications gathered from crop brought to the winery for crushing and from pre harvest field visits show that the lower yields and the grape flavour concentra- tion, indicate that this will be another good year, and hopefully it will be at par with 2018, which is considered as one of the best years ever for Marsovin's red wines. Marsovin kicks off what is the latest grape harvest on record SWEDISH manufactures Husqvarna have already be- gun early preparations on their newest motorcycle line up for 2020. The pioneering brand promises to exceed the high expectations of their customers by continuing to produce bikes with excep- tional designs, offering an honest, true and real riding experience. Husqvarna is one of Sweden oldest company finding its founding roots in 1689, it was, however, only in 1903 that the focus of the manufactures switched onto motorcycles. At a time when 45km/ hour was considered an im- pressive speed, Husqvarna's lightweight engines quickly began to make their mark across track racing, earning the Swedish manufacturers a number of titles in Motocross World Championships along their way. The Husqvarna brand has since established itself as a highly respected name in mo- torcycle culture across the globe. Their motorcycles are con- sidered an expression of their perseverance, innovation and evolution over their years of operation. Husqvarna frequently chal- lenge pre-defined motorcy- cling concepts, leading the industry into progressive and uncharted territory. With a promise of making urban motorcycling more ac- cessible to newer rider, as well as tuning up and progressing on their notions of outdoor exploration, the 2020 line up promises to take riders to a new level of motorcycling. Already confirming the 2020 update for their Vitpilen and Svartpilen models, Husqvarna promises to refresh the simple design in stylish progression. Both models detail subtle and style focused simple aesthetic designs on the motorcycles with innovative attention to detail. The models are geared up to once again become renowned icons of the urban motor- cycling scene, encouraging free-thinking riders with pro- gressive lifestyles to enjoy the beautifully simple and agile thrill of the ride. Not forgetting their Enduro heritage, Husqvarna have also released details on their new- est outdoor motorcycle range. As masters of the outdoors, the Swedish manufacturers see the exploration and excitement of the outdoor as their obligation towards their riders. Fapi Motors are the official distributors of Husqvarna motorcycles in Malta. Visit the Husqvarna showroom at Mdina Road, Attard or send an email to info@FapiMotors. com for more information. One can also follow the Husqvarna Motorcycles Malta Facebook page to keep abreast with the latest up- dates. Fapi Motors is a Mo- bility Business Unit within Famalco Group | Building Businesses. Husqvarna preparing for 2020