DACOUTROS - since 1307

The surname Dacoutros owes its origins to the region of ‘Coteaux du Languedoc’, a very vast wine area which boasts of vineyards dating back to the Greeks (5th Century B.C.) The term ‘Coteaux’ means a hill which is covered by vines.

Religious persecutions in the early 14th Century led our ancestors to flee from Southern France to the southern most Island of the Cyclades chain, Santorini. In 1307, the Des Couteaux family had to restart their wine trading activity on this picturesque island, which is the archetypal image of Greece. The French surname Des Couteaux gradually transformed to De Koutru and finally to Dacoutros to suit the Greek mode of pronunciation.

In 1881, while on his way from Santorini to Tunisia, Giovanni Dacoutros who was only 10 years old, stopped in Malta for the first time, with John Basil Sorotto – a family shipping business name, still existing today in Malta. This majestic Island, and it’s magnificient Valletta harbour, in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea must have impressed him to no small degree. Giovanni Dacoutros soon partnered with the Portelli wine family who had been trading wine as far back as the 1750’s during the reign of Grand Master Manuel Pinto de Fonseca.

1881 is a remarkable year for the Dacoutros family in Malta. It was precisely in this year that Giovanni Dacoutros bought out the Portelli wine business and hence became established as the oldest wine producer in the Maltese Islands. The firm “Giovanni Dacoutros ” was also founded at 156, Archbishop Street, Valletta. Giovanni soon acquired further wine stores at 45, East Street, Valletta and at Pinto Road Marsa, very recently aptly renamed “ Ix-Xatt ta’ l-Ghassara ta’ l-Gheneb” (Winemaker’s wharf).

In the 125 year chequered history of the Dacoutros family in Malta we were established for many decades, as charterers and part owners of vessels but mainly as ship owners, carrying our wines to Malta from all over the Mediteranean. The family owned or had majority shares in 13 vessels and wine carriers; S/S Santa Maria Assunta, M/V Maria Dacoutros, M/V Aghios Spyridon, S/S Jacinth, MVF. Sajjed, S/S Anna Dacoutros, M/V Royal Lady, M/V Anton Dacoutros, M/V Franco, M/V Evangelistria, M/V Rena E Dacoutros, M/V Elpis II and M/V Kavalla..

They also serviced the Malta-Gozo Ferry service with other Maltese and Gozitan shareholders, before, during and after the Second World War.

Our fleet of ships all had a somewhat unfortunate destiny. Most were eaten up by the enemy in World wars I and II and the rest were lost at sea. The family boasts of not losing a single life in its history.

During the 1920s Giovanni Dacoutros’s ships carried Maltese limestone (as ballast) on their way to collect wines from the Greek Island of Santorini, his homeland. Enough Maltese stone was transported over time to this island, in exchange for their weight in wine, that soon enough Giovanni's wish to build a small chapel dedicated to Our Lady became a reality.

Today, the "Pangia Maltese" Chapel, dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus still stands in a small square named after Malta and the Greeks in Malta who built it namely, “Piazza Malta”.

In this Chapel one may find a Maltese hand crafted, large silver icon depicting Our Lady holding Baby Jesus. This work of art was commissioned by Giovanni who at the time had this made specifically for this Chapel and which was entirely made by silversmiths back home, in Malta. On its completion, Giovanni sent it to Santorini where it was then presented to the Chapel by his cousin Elefterios Dacoutros.

A Maltese styled restaurant named “Restaurant Maltese” may also be found nearby, but which has no connotation to the Greco-Maltese Dacoutros of Malta.

Apart from the long established wine business, the Dacoutros family also owned and operated, a soft drink bottling plant (Canada Dry, Ginger Ale, Hi-Spot etc) which was established by Peter, Anton and George Dacoutros in 1963 and the Capri-Sun fruit juice packaging plant which was established by John G Dacoutros, in 1991.

A new grape pressing house with ultra modern pressing facilities, a new barrel room, for wine ageing  and a new fully automatic wine, spirit and spumante bottling plant, will begin operating shortly. This reflects the opportunity and growth of the wine business in Malta and the business acumen of the Dacoutros family, during the past years. Malta grown wines will be produced and bottled and distributed in the Maltese Islands and throughout the World.