Meridiana opens: a wine estate in Malta Living

Malta Living now has a Malta wine estate game stop worth the trip: Meridiana, at Ta' Qali, is open. It's the third place of the venues wave, after the bank on Republic Street and before the Eden's lanes, and it came straight out of one of the coming-soon sites on the bigger map.

Five places in one

Walk in and the estate opens out around you:

• The tasting terrace, with tables under parasols and the vines beside you. Clara, the sommelier, welcomes you as you arrive: she knows if it's your first visit, and her cards take you on the tour, to a tasting, the shop or a table.
• The vineyard, where Milan looks after the rows. Walk them, read the season sign, take a photo between the vines.
• The winery, with the press and the bottling line. Peek in a steel tank; it's quietly bubbling.
• The cellar, cool and candlelit. Breathe in the oak; Jomar knocks on the barrels to hear which are ready.
• The shop, where Ama wraps your bottles.

Each spot has things to do, and the staff talk to you, as they do across the island.

On the terrace

Luca's kitchen does a Maltese platter (ġbejniet, bigilla, olives, galletti), a ftira with tuna and capers, his rabbit ravioli in a red wine sauce, and burrata. By the glass there's Isis (white), the estate rosé and Celsius (red), each marked by colour and word, and fresh grape juice for anyone who'd rather not. The menu is a grid of pictures with Clara's tip on top, and Pair it for me finds the dish that goes with your glass (or the glass for your dish). The sunset over the vines is real: it happens at Malta's real sunset time.

Wine and your drink level

A glass of wine counts towards your drink level, like a pint does at the bars. Three glasses and you're Tipsy; five and you're Drunk, with everything that means: no driving, and a cab home. Clara will suggest grape juice before you get there.

Bottles to take home

The shop sells Meridiana's own wines: Astarte, a white; Melqart and Bel, two reds; Celsius, the reserve; the estate rosé; and grape juice. Buy one to six at a time and they go home to a new wine rack in your fridge. Six bottles fit, and the rest wait in storage at home. At home, open the fridge and pour a glass: each bottle gives four. Bottles are for drinking, never for selling back.

Opening week

Meridiana opened today, so its opening week is on: your first paid thing there, up to €15, is on the house, and you get an opening stamp with your visitor number. It's in Just opened on the map and in Get around's Explore, and under Drink, Eat and Date night in Activities.

What's coming next

This is part one. Next comes the tour: eight stops with something to do at each, real facts and a quiz. After that, tasting like a sommelier, making your own blend, adopting a vine, the harvest festival and the wine club. Each will arrive on its own, so the estate keeps giving you reasons to go back.

Questions people ask

Is Meridiana a real place?

Yes. Meridiana Wine Estate is a real winery at Ta' Qali, and the wines in the game carry its real names. Prices in the game are game prices.

How many glasses until I'm drunk?

Three glasses make you Tipsy and five make you Drunk. The level falls by itself as time passes.

Where do the bottles go?

To the wine rack in your fridge at home: six bottles fit, and the rest go to storage. Open the fridge to pour a glass.

Can I sell the bottles?

No. Bottles are for drinking. Giving them to friends comes in a later part.

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