Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/881840
47 Events maltatoday, SUNDAY, 1 OCTOBER 2017 MARSOVIN'S Grand Maî- tre 2015, "Annata Fra Nico- las de Cotoner'", is to be re- leased this Tuesday. This is the 18th vintage of the prized Grand Maître, produced from grapes grown in Mar- sovin's Private Estate - Ghajn Rhħana. The Ghajn Rihana estate spans over an area of 1.6 hec- tares, situated between the Bidnija hills and Wardija in the north of Malta. The vine- yard is densely planted with 14,000 vines of two noble French grape varieties, made up of equal quantities of Ca- bernet Sauvignon and Caber- net Franc. The arid land and clay-rich, calcareous soil provide a tough growing environment for these vines. The yields from this estate generally produce very concentrated full-bodied wines of intense fruit and aromatic charac- ter. Following vinification, the unfiltered wine is aged in new oak barriques for over 12 months in the Marsovin Cel- lars prior to bottling. Marsovin's Grand Maître is a wine dedicated to the Grand Masters of Malta by special appointment to the Maltese Association Sover- eign Military Order of Malta. Each vintage is dedicated to a different Grand Master in chronological order, the first one being Philippe Villiers de L'Isle Adam for the 1998 vintage. This year's vintage is dedi- cated to Fra Nicolas Cotoner, the 61st Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta. One can say that life in the Order could by the latter part of Nicolas Cotoner's reign be better described as being one in which the Grand Master had developed into one of the Western ruling Princes of the time. A premium blend of Caber- net Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc is what makes Grand Maître. The 2015 vintage cli- matic conditions were char- acterised by an abnormally cold winter spell and good rainfall especially during January and February. Summer started off with a prolonged heatwave in end June to early July, followed by a sudden decrease in tem- perature, to below the aver- age, after a freak storm in the first week of August. Overall these conditions contrib- uted to a significant delay in reaching the optimum grape maturity which resulted in the latest harvest date in the history of this vineyard and a slightly lower harvest yield in comparison to the yields obtained in the previous two years. The resultant wine pro- duced portrays the typical characteristics of this vine- yard being an already very approachable and pleasant wine characterised by its typ- ical fruity bouquet, velvety smooth tannins and new oak nuances. Grand Maître is available in wooden boxes of 6 and 3 bot- tles, as well as single bottles being offered in an exclusive- ly designed complimentary presentation box. For information and orders of Grand Maître, you can call the Marsovin Cellars on 23662445 or send an email to cellars@marsovinwinery. com Ookla confirms that GO has the fastest mobile network nationwide GO has once again been confirmed as the fastest mobile network in Malta and Gozo, this time based on the experience of con- sumers themselves. Ookla®, the company behind the widely used Speedtest® app, has awarded GO its "Speedtest Awards Winner 2017 - Mobile Network Speed" title based on results taken during the first half of 2017. The award comes just weeks after the pub- lication of research by independent German firm NetCheck, which also showed that GO has the fastest mobile network in Malta. This award is based on the results ob- tained from thousands of unique customer initiated speed tests carried out both in- doors and outdoors all over Malta and Gozo. The Ookla Speedtest Award reconfirms the nationwide strength of GO's Mobile Net- work, the benefits of which translate into a far better service that thousands of custom- ers can actually experience. Attila Keszeg, CEO at GO plc, said Speed- test was an app which customers in many countries are very familiar with. "Known for its reliability, independence and objectivity, Speedtest is widely used to check that promised speeds are actually being delivered. To have the reaffirmation through this trusted app that GO has the fastest nationwide mobile network which is delivering an enhanced customer experi- ence, is very satisfying. It also gives us the energy to continue working hard to provide customers with the best possible mobile ex- perience everywhere." Ookla, the company behind Speedtest, is the global leader in internet testing and analysis. Used over fifteen billion times worldwide, Speedtest by Ookla is the most accurate way to measure internet perfor- mance and network diagnostics. Ookla pro- vides people with independent insight into the speed and quality of their mobile and fixed broadband connections. This gives consumers the information they need to understand and troubleshoot their internet experience. More information is available at http://www.ookla.com/. Farsons registers positive results but warns of tight labour market and enforcement issues Cugó Gran Macina Grand Harbour links up with Design Hotels FARSONS Group reported sound growth and a profitable performance for the six months ending 31 July 2017, with in- creases in turnover and profits in all segments when compared to the same period last year. Whilst Group turnover ex- ceeded €49 million, represent- ing an increase of 7.5% over the comparative period last year, profit for the period from con- tinuing operations after taxa- tion amounted to €5.7 million, and exceeded last year's figure by 3.9%. Net profit margins have been compressed by extremely competitive market conditions and a very tight labour market. In reviewing the performance of the Group's business, Farsons Group Chief Executive Norman Aquilina said that the results were encouraging and reflected the efficiencies gained through the investments made by the Group. "The challenges of operating in a relatively small economy are constant, and in order to achieve growth through other channels, the Group remains committed to ongoing innovation and fur- ther internationalising its busi- ness through exports," he said. Aquilina said that the ongoing national debate on waste man- agement will present challenges which need to be addressed by all. "What is now needed is effec- tive enforcement which is visible and operative in order to ensure a level playing field for all. The current enforcement measures are far from ideal, thus creating disparity between operators," he said. "Any new measures intend- ed to control packaging waste should not further aggravate the disparity caused by inadequate enforcement of regulations." Investment in the logistics centre is nearing completion. Si- multaneously the investment in the administrative office block has reached its final stages. The new kegging plant is expected to be commissioned by the end of this financial year. The Group's Chairman, Louis A. Farrugia endorsed Aquilina's cautionary comments whilst noting with satisfaction the re- sults achieved. He also noted that at the Annual General Meeting held on 27 June 2017, the shareholders had approved the spin-off of the Company's shareholding in Trident Estates Limited. "Following this approval, the necessary formalities for the transfer of the properties, the al- lotment of shares to existing Far- sons shareholders, and the list- ing of the Trident Estates shares on the Malta Stock Exchange are all at an advanced stage, and are expected to be completed by the end of this year," he said. The board of directors recom- mended an interim dividend of €1 million, similar to last year, and equivalent to €0.0333 per share. Such dividend will be paid on 18 October to those reg- istered ordinary shareholders as at 4 October. CUGÓ Gran Maċina Grand Har- bour luxury boutique accom- modation has become the first Maltese member of the Design Hotels™, a hospitality brand that represents and markets a curated selection of over 300 independ- ent hotels and luxury boutique accommodations in more than 60 countries across the world. This was announced by Vladimir Saal, managing direc- tor and CEO of IBB Hotel Collec- tion based in Malta and currently operating 11 hotels in Germany, Poland and Spain with ambitious growth plans for the upcoming years. "The bespoke sub-brand of IBB, Cugó Gran, has been chosen to ensure, that the highest ser- vice and quality standards of the hospitality sector will be reached with this luxury boutique ac- commodation becoming a new flagship within IBB," he said. Entrenched in history, Sen- glea's iconic Maċina Bastion will come back to life this month as an exclusive Cugó Gran Maċina Grand Harbour luxury boutique accommodation, following 13 months of extensive restoration and renovation process. "This is our first collaboration with IBB Hotel Collection," said Ruby Davies, public relations and communications manager for Design Hotels. "As a hospitality brand, we are continuously striving to create experiences that are original and unforgettable, and that is precise- ly what this partnership between Design Hotels™ and Cugó Gran Maċina Grand Harbour aims to accomplish. Through historic architecture, exemplary design, and an immersion in the local culture, our shared communities will be warmly welcomed at the restored Maċina building. This regeneration project will shine a new light on Malta's Grand Har- bour through the reinvention of this iconic historical architec- ture." Founded by Claus Sendlinger in 1993, Design Hotels offers its members insightful travel in- dustry knowledge, from market trend consultancy to interna- tional sales representation. The company has its headquarters in Berlin and branches in London, Barcelona, New York and Singa- pore. More than a collection of con- temporary and luxurious hospi- tality venues, Design Hotels is a collection of stories. Each prop- erty reflects the ideas of a vision- ary hotelier, an "Original", some- one with a passion for genuine hospitality, cultural authenticity, thought-provoking design and architecture. Each "Original" stands for the individual, aes- thetic and service-driven experi- ence that his or her venue pro- vides. Cugó Gran Maċina Grand Harbour fits perfectly into this vision. IBB Hotel Collection is a sub- sidiary of Von der Heyden Group, a developer and investor based in Malta, operating hotels and lux- ury boutique accommodations under lease, management and franchise contracts in prime and secondary locations with three different own brands: IBB Hotel, IBB Blue Hotel, and Cugó Gran. Marsovin releases Grand Maître 2015 'Fra Nicolas de Cotoner' Farsons results reflect the efficiencies gained through the investments made by the Group Unique architecture welcome the visitor at Cugó Gran Ma ina Grand Harbour luxury boutique accommodation