The Master Cellar

The Master Cellar is a long-running independent wine and spirits shop on Malta, open since 1999 and now trading from two branches: one in Naxxar and one on Sliema Road in Gżira. It is the sort of place a UK visitor can walk into for a bottle of Maltese red to take home, a decent single malt, or a boxed gift that travels well in a suitcase. You will find it listed with the other wine merchants in Malta on VisitMalta.co.uk.

The shop's aim is to match the right product to the customer, with wine and spirit advisers on hand for recommendations, rather than simply stacking shelves. Its range covers a wide spread of brands and price points, so a casual buyer and a collector can both find something sensible.

What the shops sell

The range is the main draw. The Master Cellar stocks more than 400 different wines and over 300 spirits, alongside gourmet foods, cigars and non-alcoholic beverages. Wines are split between Maltese and foreign bottles, with sparkling, fortified and dessert wines, liqueurs, beers and ciders, and scented candles as further categories. The online shop can also be searched by grape variety, from familiar names such as Chardonnay, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc to island varieties such as Gellewza and Girgentina.

Prices on the online shop are shown including VAT. As examples, 1919 White in a 0.75 litre bottle is listed at €17.90, a Villa Sparina Gavi di Gavi at €20.85 and a Marsovin Marnisi at €27.25, while a 330ml can of TOBCo. Helles beer is €3.40. For a milestone gift there is Marsovin's 100th Anniversary range, including a boxed set at €106.25.

If you cannot find what you are after on the website, the shop invites customers to get in touch and it will help source it. Delivery across Malta within 24 hours is offered, which is handy if you are staying in a villa or apartment and would rather not carry cases of wine home.

Gift hampers and the Master Cellar Club

Hampers are a speciality. Customers can build their own from the full range, mixing wine, spirits and gourmet items to suit the recipient, which makes a thoughtful present for a host, a client or a colleague back in the UK. If flowers are part of the plan, Alistair Floral Design is another local business in our directory.

The shop also runs a loyalty scheme, the Master Cellar Club, where members earn points on purchases, and a newsletter for offers. These are mainly useful to residents and regular visitors, but a long stay or a second home in Malta makes them worth asking about.

Tastings at the Gżira shop

The Gżira branch is set up as a wine boutique. A wine dispenser there lets you taste 16 different premium wines by the glass before deciding what to buy, with the machine keeping the bottles in good condition so the aromas and flavours stay intact. There is also a dedicated high-end tasting room that can be booked for private tastings with friends or colleagues.

Monthly tasting events are held as well, at times with visiting winemakers present, and the focus is educational: understanding what is in the glass, not just drinking it. Anyone can subscribe to hear about these events. Gżira is a pleasant base for a trip, and our guide to hotels in Sliema and the Gżira area lists places to stay nearby.

Visiting Naxxar and Gżira

The Naxxar shop is on Oratory Street, in the village of Naxxar, with the Agenda Bookshop just a short walk away. From there, Mdina and Valletta are both within easy reach: see our Mdina guide and Valletta guide for day-trip ideas.

The Gżira branch sits on Sliema Road. If you are planning a longer trip, our overview of where to stay in Malta and the things to do in Malta page will help you fit a shop visit around the sights, and the flights to Malta page covers getting here from the UK.

Opening hours differ between the two branches, so check the times in the practical section before you set off. To ask about stock, a hamper or a private tasting, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to The Master Cellar.