Rediscover Dacoutros

Over a century ago, a Greek winemaker’s young
son made Malta his home after he became infatuated
with the island during his travels. This 10-
year-old boy, Giovanni Dacoutros, became one of Malta’s
finest wine producers and, his sons and grandsons after him
continued in his footsteps until the winery was closed some
twenty years ago as the family took on other business.Today,
the new generation of Dacoutros’ are reviving the winery
and respecting their great-grandfather’s methods with one
difference – this time there are two women at the helm.
Diana Cutajar Dacoutros and her younger sister Cristina
Dacoutros are enthusiastic about breathing life back into the
family wine business.
“This business is a sentimental comeback. We’re going
back to what we know, what our family knows and loves…
We’re going back to our roots,” the sisters agree as their eyes
well up with emotion.
And they surely are going back to their roots as wine is
embedded in their very surname. Dacoutros originated from
France’s Coteaux du Languedoc region famous for its vast
wine areas.The family name, that was originally Des Coteaux
– with Coteaux meaning hills covered in vines – evolved to
Dacoutros when the family moved to the Greek island
Santorini following religious persecutions in the early 1300s.

In 1881,Giovanni Dacoutros – then 10 years old – and his
friend John Basil Sorotto stopped in Malta on their way to
Tunisia. Giovanni was impressed by the island in the heart of
the Mediterranean and soon partnered with the Portelli wine
family who had been trading in wine as far back as the 1750s.
The young Giovanni soon bought out the Portelli wine
business and founded the firm Giovanni Dacoutros inValletta,
becoming established as the oldest wine producer on the
island. He also purchased stores along the shore in the area
aptly named Xatt l-Ghassara ta’ l-Gheneb, or Winemakers
Wharf, in Marsa.
As the decades rolled on and the business passed on to
Giovanni’s children and grandchildren, in 1963 the family also
came to own and operate a soft drink bottling plant that
worked with brands such as Canada Dry, Ginger Ale and Hi-
Spot. Eventually after Diana and Cristina’s father, John, bought
out other family partners and the winery was closed, the Capri-
Sun fruit juice packaging plant was established. Diana and
Cristina remember their father in the soft drink and juice business
but only have vague memories of the winery.
“I don’t remember ever visiting it,” Diana reflects as her
sister adds: “We used to pass by when we were children.We
would see our surname. But at the time we were not much
interested in wine.”

However, as children, the sisters were fascinated by the
travel stories of their ancestors.
“Instead of hearing fairytales like Cinderella,we would listen
to our great aunt recount how she travelled to Santorini
on a ship,” Cristina recalls.
Then, as the sisters matured into young women, in 2000
the idea of reviving the family wine business started brewing.
They were more than willing to start a new chapter in the
Dacoutros’ winemaking history. The young women, now
both in their 20s, started travelling to different countries and
attending fairs to learn about the industry.Works began on
the old winery atWinemakersWharf that had been locked up
for almost two decades. In November 2006, they moved into
the premises that proudly displays the Maltese, Greek and
EU flags on its façade. Since then, Diana and Cristina have
learnt that they love working together.
“She’s the only person I can really trust at work,” Diana
says as her sister nods and adds: “I know she’ll always give me
her honest opinion.”
The sisters pulled together a small team of employees
with who they have direct contact and operate like a family.
They also have a “team” behind the scenes as Diana’s husband
Mark Cutajar and Cristina’s boyfriend Matthew Degiorgio
offer them priceless support and objectivity. Their parents
Yolanda and John also offer immense support and enrich
them with a wealth of honest experience only parents can
share.After months of preparation and planning, the revived
DacoutrosWinery started bottling wine again a few months
ago. Diana explains that as there were not enough Maltese
grapes grown locally to cater for all winemakers, they consulted
with experts abroad and decided to import wines and
blend them – just like their great grandfather did.
They import wine from various EU countries and, with
the help of two Greek enologists, they created different
blends that they market under three main ranges: Regatta,
Perla Nera and Merino. The Regatta and Merino ranges
inherited their names from past Dacoutros wines, whereas
Perla Nera evolved from a wine that had been known as
Perla. Regatta was an original trademark of those days and
the picture on the label is similar to the original.The regatta
used to take place in the harbour opposite the winery and
people would go and drink wine after the regatta.
“So we’re doing the same thing that our great grandfather
did – blending wines to create different flavours. It’s just that
he did it by transporting the wine in ships and we are using
more modern means,” Diana highlights.
But the sisters are not just repeating history. They have
plans of their own and reveal that this summer they will be
launching a new Malta DOK as well as expanding the Merino
range. Clearly, the two young women have taken a family
trait – the winemaking business – and are now turning it into
their passion.
“We have gone back to our roots with the winery that is
truly in our hearts,” they say.