Baron Gozo Blog

Visit Gozo for an authentic taste of Maltese wine, food and culture

Posted on 01 September 2021

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Many people book a holiday on Gozo to soak up the warm sunshine and relax on one of our lovely beaches, or laze by their private pool. But once they get here they soon realise there is an added dimension to a Gozo holiday – sampling the island’s delicious cuisine and admiring our traditional hand-made crafts.

Gozo is definitely the hidden gem of the Mediterranean and first-time visitors are often surprised at our unique heritage. And the island’s rich and ancient history is reflected in our local cuisine which has strong north African, Sicilian and other European influences.

A huge variety of fruit and vegetables are grown on Gozo and we produce high quality  organic sea salt, honey, goat’s cheese, tomato pastes, preserves and olive oil. If that wasn’t enough, Gozo catches a variety of fish and seafood and is also home to three wineries and a boutique brewery. 

This blog post aims to give you a taste of what’s in store for you when you next visit Gozo.

 

Eat like a local

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Fresh pastizzi – yum!

Pretty much everywhere you go on Gozo you’ll be able to sample the delights of fresh and tasty local food and drink. If you’re staying in one of our Baron Holiday Homes villas or restored farmhouses near a village, you’ll be able to simply walk down to the local village bakery.

Once there, you can try pastizzi our favourite morning snack – small flaky pastries filled with goat’s cheese or a pea mash. For a more substantial snack or lunch try Gozo’s version of a pizza – a ftira. You can even watch them being baked in the traditional ovens.

When you are out and about exploring Gozo you can also expect to find local produce served in many of the island’s cafes, bars and restaurants. In fact, an experience definitely not to be missed on Gozo is a simple but delicious one.

Find a cafe or bar with an outside table. Then order a plate of locally-produced antipasti and a glass of local wine or beer and just sit back and watch the world go by! You’ll be served with fresh local bread, beef olives (bragoli), plump sun-dried tomatoes, plus a Gozo speciality ġbejniet. These sheep’s milk cheeselets can be served fresh (sometimes with local honey), dried, or marinated and peppered.

Our Guide To A Gozo Taste Experience provides a useful introduction to our distinctive cuisine and the types of dishes you might find on menus around the island. On Gozo, the emphasis is always on local, fresh and seasonal produce. And you can also buy locally-produced food products at many outlets in Gozo. Gozitan olive oil, preserves and honey make great gifts to take home with you.

Enjoy discounts with our dining coupons

To help you enjoy a diverse food experience during your stay with us on Gozo, Baron Holiday Homes has arranged discounts at 10 of the island’s best local restaurants. Our   dining out coupons booklet costs just €10.00 and can save a family of four more than €100. Any guest buying the coupons also receives a voucher of €25 off their next stay.
 

Learn to cook like a local

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 A cooking class in Gozo. Photo Credit: Maldonado Bistro

If you are a foodie who not only loves to sample local dishes when you're on holiday but also to have a go at making them, then we recommend you attend a Gozo cooking class during your stay. 

We are happy to help organise either a session in a professional kitchen or you might prefer to have a local chef come to your Baron Holiday Home. Just click on the Cooking Classes link on our Things to Do In Gozo page.

 

Go on a Gastro Gozo walking tour

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A Walk, Wine and Food event. Photo credit: Maldonado Bistro

Another great way of learning about Gozo’s food and wine culture is to take a Gastro Gozo walking tour with our partner Maldonado Bistro in Gozo’s capital Victoria. We can help book you and your group on The Walk, Wine and Food tour.

These events include a guided walking tour of Victoria which is then followed by a wine-tasting session with a selection of Gozitan wines paired with a full degustation menu. More information can be found in our blog post Get A Taste For Our Wonderful Cuisine With Gastro Gozo.

 

Discover a different side of Gozo on an eco tour

There’s nothing like getting off the beaten track to meet real Gozitan food and wine producers. Baron Holiday Homes can organise a full day Eco Tour where you can interact with experts, as well as taste the results of all their hard work!

Our local producers will welcome you and are happy to talk about their everyday life and the traditional skills they use. Each tour is slightly different as it depends on who is available and this enables us to maintain an element of surprise for you. But you can be assured that food plays a key part in the day – and not just the sit-down lunch which is included!

 

Visit a Gozitan winery and brewery

massar-winery.jpgTake a wine tour at tal-Massar Winery

It’s one thing to enjoy a glass of Gozitan wine at a restaurant or bar but it’s a different experience completely to sample that wine at the winery that produces it. We can arrange a wine tasting experience for our guests at the picturesque Tal Massar winery in Gharb. 

The tour of the vineyard is provided by the owner and you’ll get a great insight into what makes the winery and its wines so special. Then you’ll get to sample four award-winning wines accompanied with local snacks.   

If you prefer beer to wine then Gozo’s very own boutique craft brewery, Lord Chambray, should be of interest. Lord Chambray not only produces a great range of local beers but also runs brewery tours once a week. The tour lasts about 45 minutes and as well as learning about how they make their unfiltered beers, you’ll get to taste three different beers from their range of 12. 

 

Learn more about Gozo’s craft heritage

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The Ta’ Dbeigi Craft Village in Gharb, Gozo. Photo credit: tripadvisor.com

As well as delicious food, wine and beer, Gozo’s artisans also produce a diverse range of high quality traditional crafts. As you explore Gozo’s villages you might be lucky enough to come across a local craftsperson. However, if you visit The Ta’ Dbieġi crafts village in the village of Għarb you can experience a diverse range of crafts being produced all on one site. You can see traditional lace-making, glassblowing and silver filigree artisans plying their trade as well as potters and people making leather goods. Of course, many objects are available to buy. 

This short video clip gives you a flavour of the range of crafts you can expect to find on Gozo:

 

 

Book with confidence

Ever-changing travel restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in much uncertainty. So to give you greater peace of mind, flexibility and financial protection Baron Holiday Homes has introduced a Travel Restrictions Guarantee. We hope this will enable you to book your Gozo holiday with confidence. There’s no extra charge and our guarantee is being offered on both existing and new bookings.

Posted in Activity, Agritourism, Baron Experience, Cultural activities, Family, Local cuisine, Relaxation, Things to do, Wine tasting

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