Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/621909
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 3 JANUARY 2016 34 Food Ornellaia is simply one of the greatest wines in the world, one of the First Growths of Italy. Ornellaia 2012 is as yet un-rated by Monica Larner of the Wine Advocate or Antonio Galloni; however, he has said of the vintage, "Although most of the top wines haven't been released yet, the 2012s I have tasted from barrel and bottle are hugely promising. The best wines are nothing short of exceptional." The vintage was hot and dry from June to August, characterised by an abundance of sun, causing the vines to slow growth, this followed a cool February and a wet May. Rain fell at the right periods providing a tonic for the vines. The result was consistent ripening, yielding a generous, seductive wine, with all the hallmarks that distinguish a great vintage of Ornellaia Ornellaia 2012, Bolgheri, Italy Exclusively imported by Charles Grech & Co. Ltd, Valley Road, Birkirkara T: 2144 4400 Food trend forecast Rachel Agius and Rachel Zammit Cutajar On the sunny shores of Malta we have always been a little slow to catch up with any kind of trends happening globally and food trends have generally been no different. With the exploding use of social media, however, Malta has become quicker to catch up and some global food trends of 2015 have already taken a strong foothold on the island. These are a few that we believe will continue to make it big in 2016. Craft beers Drinkers are moving away from mass-produced beverages and choosing artisanal beverages, whether they are spirits, barrel- aged wines or beers. Imported craft beers are become more readily available at a number of night time hangouts. Lord Chambray is producing Gozo's very own craft beers. Set up in 2014, this local craft beer has been steadily gaining ground and is set to become even more popular in the com- ing year. Food trucks The release of Jon Favreau's Chef in 2014 romanticised the food truck industry somewhat. Whether it was the movie or a genuine demand for street food, the food truck business has been on the rise. The Grassy Hopper and KuYa, though starting off solely as food trucks, have laid down more concrete roots while others like Miss Ellen's Travel- ling Treats and Roots have stuck to their wheels. Cheaper to run and able to travel to where the party's at, keep your eye out for more quality food coming off the back of a truck. Specialty dietary requirements Whether people are just more aware of dietary allergies or whether the latter are actually on the rise is still questionable, though whatever the case more and more people are choosing to go gluten-free, lactose-free, dairy-free and feeling better for it. Locally restaurants are also catching on, with options for people staying away from cer- tain food types. Some have even gone as far as having gluten-free menus though these are still in the minority. Sustainable fishing Though eating fish is part of a healthy diet, overfishing has rendered many of our favourites unsustainable. Chefs are trying out recipes using more sustain- able varieties to keep the fish in our seas. If you're trying to stick to the sustainable list but aren't quite sure what's what, log on to www.fish4tomorrow.com, a local website, to find out how sustainable your Mediterranean dinner really is. Matcha tea Matcha is a souped up version of green tea. This ancient Japa- nese beverage is touted as the cure for everything with health benefits that leave regular green tea in the dust. This heady brew is available locally as a latte at a number of health food res- Drinkers are moving away from mass-produced beverages and choosing artisanal products such as Lord Chambray