Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/747633
48 Events maltatoday, SUNDAY, 6 NOVEMBER 2016 Lebanon's Château Ksara in Malta FOUNDED in 1857 by Jesuit priests who produced the coun- try's first dry red wine, Château Ksara is Lebanon's oldest, largest and most visited winery, attract- ing some 40,000 visitors per year. Château Ksara has preserved Leb- anon's rich wine making heritage for over 150 years, laying down the foundation for Lebanon's modern wine making industry. All of Ksara's vineyards are lo- cated in the central and western Bekaa Valley. At an average alti- tude of 1,000 meters, the Bekaa enjoys dry summers and has the added bonus of its own natural water table, courtesy of the melt- ing snow that runs off the slopes of the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon mountain ranges. The soil ranges from chalk, to clay and chalk, to clay and lime, but it is always stony. The Bekaa enjoys a Mediterrane- an climate, with heavy rains and snow in the winter, a mild spring and a dry, in some cases very dry, hot summer. The slope on either side of the valley and the valley it- self create a unique micro-climate in which the cool nights compen- sate for the hot summer days. Château Ksara Rouge is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot, aged in new oak for 12 months. This Lebanese take on a traditional claret assemblage is made to age gracefully. Rasp- berry, blackcurrant and vanilla aromas make way for a powerful, spicy, leather-tinged palate, of ex- traordinary length and complex- ity. Other wines available locally are their Blanc des Blancs, the sweet fortified Moscatel, Reserve du Couvent and the premium Le Souverain which has a dense deep purple red robe, with a remarkable bouquet of dark wild berries, and an underlining of liquorice, fenu- greek and carob, accompanied by a highly complex olfactory range. Château Ksara also produce Ksarak – an outstanding example of Arak, Lebanon's national drink, made with the finest grape alco- hol, to which aniseed from the Al Heenah area of Mount Hermon (considered the finest aniseed in the world) is added. The spirit is distilled to release the purest Arak, which is then aged for two years in clay jars. Château Ksara wines and arak are proudly imported, marketed and distributed by Farsons Bev- erage Imports Company (FBIC) Limited, a member of the Farsons Group. Walnuts are not just for eating NOVEMBER brings with it many associations: the slow weather change and transition into warm- er clothes, the kettle boiling a little more frequently and the unique sound that accompanies trying to crack a walnut shell to get to its delicious nutrient full centre. Many of us are keen on eating the kernel and simply throw the shell away, but when walnuts are in season and shells are so abundant, not putting them to good use is quite a waste. Many people use nut shells as a form of compost; however, the same cannot be said for walnut shells, as they contain chemicals which might be toxic to certain plants and trees, so better safe than sorry. Walnut shells are best utilised as cleaning agents; they can be used as a gentle abrasive for polishing as they do not scratch the surface as other agents do. It is so effective that jewellers actually use them in tumblers to add a sparkling shine on gems. Just crush the shells into small pieces, process them in a food processor and mix with baking soda and water to create a paste. Diamond Nuts have been pro- viding the fruit and vegetable market with fresh, high quality and great tasting walnuts for over a century. Fruitland Company is the distributor of the Diamond Walnut brand in Malta. For more information send an e-mail to info@Fruitland.Company. HSBC UK Contact Centre staff receive sweet treats for being scary good IT was definitely 'treats' for staff members of the HSBC UK Contact Centre (UKCC) Malta on Halloween with the 'Best Dressed Team' and the 'Best Decorated Cluster' scooping up €150 each. However, others were not left feeling 'tricked ' as a number of Halloween activi- ties kept them inspired through- out the day. Designed by the HSBC UKCC's People Experi- ence team, Halloween 2016 was themed around a puzzling maze of lairs and clues that eventually led to the 'depths of hellfare' in the usually placid conference room. Ghoulish games, fright- ening food, horror movies, and thrilling treats were also part of the experience. Workshop empowering women with the confidence to defend themselves A series of workshops are being organised in Malta aimed spe- cifically at women. The one-day courses have been developed as a response to the variety of ever increasing risks that the mod- ern world presents. The aim is to educate and train women in their own ability to defend themselves by staying aware and avoiding confrontation through common sense and confidence. "Confidence in your own abil- ity to defend yourself comes with educating yourself about it, and is a massive advantage when in an unsafe situation." These were the words of top US fash- ion model Gigi Hadid, quoted in Grazia Middle East, following an unsolicited assault at Milan Fashion Week in September. The Malta based company or- ganising the workshop, EQUIPP, is a training and consultancy organisation that specialises in services related to personal and travel safety. Spread over one full day, the courses are made up of various modules that cover everything from identif ying a problematic situation to how to ensure per- sonal safety. The knowledge gained can be applied in any situation faced during day-to- day life. The first course will take place on 19th November and special prices are avail- able for early bookers and group bookings. For more information and to book, email EQUIPP on info@equipp.com.mt, call on 27133903 or visit http://w w w. equipp.com.mt/. EQUIPP was set up by its Founder George Turns, whose career spans several decades with 17 years in the British mili- tary including specialist Anti- Terrorism experience in several countries across the globe. For the last 25 years he has been working as a risk management consultant with Blue Chip or- ganisations on projects in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. EQUIPP offer a range of train- ing courses aimed at individuals and companies to help mini- mise the risks associated with international travel around the world. Further information can be found at w w w.equipp.com.mt