Our Story
Astrid and Juanito Camilleri gave life to the Ta’ Betta project in 2002 after Patrick Xerri, the estate’s viticulturist, introduced them to Vincenzo Melia. Together they embarked on a journey to realise a dream: that of making fine wines with personality and ageing potential, which embody the terroir of a four-hectare estate, in Girgenti limits of Siggiewi, Malta. The choice of name for their brand reflects the passion that drives them. The estate was named after Bettina their daughter born only months earlier: Ta’ in Ta’ Betta, meaning “belonging to”. The logo depicts a girl reaching out to a vine, to a future in winemaking perhaps? In 2003, the first vines, imported from France, were planted. Carefully selected clones of noble grape varietals: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and after some prolonged debate Chardonnay. The first harvest of the reds started in 2006 and in 2008 the white followed. Thence started the wine-making journey: in a modest rural room on the estate, fondly referred to as “chateau garage”. The 15,000 mature vines on the Girgenti estate are painstakingly cared for, producing wine that is indeed fine and with personality to boot! Spurred on by this potential, the process of constructing a state-of-the-art boutique winery on the estate got underway, moving from “chateau garage” to “chateau chic”. Ta’ Betta has the benefit of 12 years of research experience, and samples of as many years of vintages, with the estate wines being launched on the market in 2019. Today, after more than twenty years of painstaking planning and attention to detail, Ta’ Betta is proud to bring four wines to your discerning palate, which embody our philosophy based on authenticity and sincerity: we allow the wine to speak for itself, of this terroir, of our story, our school of wine-making, of our heritage… it also speaks volumes of us.
