The Mediterranean island of Mallorca may be best known for sun and sand and, historically, sangria, but that has been replaced by wine—and excellent quality wine at that. Thanks to year-round sunshine and the perfect climate for producing great wines, vines have been cultivated here on the island since 121 BC. Today, central Mallorca is best known for its wineries, or ‘bodegas’. Binissalem and Santa Maria del Camí in particular are two towns well worth visiting for wine tasting and collecting. Here’s the lowdown on Mallorca’s wines. Enjoy and cheers!
History of a winemaking island
Wine production can be traced back to 121 BC when the Romans planted vines on the island. In the first century AD, the Roman natural philosopher Pliny the Elder wrote in his encyclopaedic scientific work ‘Natural History’ that the wines of the Balearic Islands rivalled those of Italy. Much later, in the middle of the 19th century, the ‘phylloxera’ virus destroyed vines throughout France, which increased demand in Mallorca, with a large area of the island covered by vines and huge exports of wine each year. But then the virus hit Mallorca and almost wiped out the vines entirely. Some were kept for personal use and Mallorcan farmers instead turned to other crops such as almonds, fruit and vegetables.
Mallorca’s wine renaissance
Fortunately, wine production resumed in the 1970s and since then local varieties such as Manto Negro, Callet, Giró and Premsal have reemerged. Other popular international varieties are also grown here, such as Merlot, Cabernet, Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Mallorca is now well known for its high-quality wines, which rival the best in the world. The fact that there are more than 60 wineries on the island is a testament to its wine revival. In central Mallorca, Binissalem and Plai I Llevant are two designated wine regions with 13 wineries each.
Visit Mallorca’s bodegas
Grapes have been grown and harvested in Binissalem since Roman times. The town’s most popular wineries are Tianna Negre, José Luis Ferrer and Biniagual. Tianna Negre’s famous ‘Ses Nines’, made from the indigenous Manto Negro grape, is an island favourite. Founded 85 years ago, José Luis Ferrer has honed its techniques over four generations and offers tastings and tours. Bodega Binigual is renowned for its quality wines, which are picked and pressed on 34 hectares of land. Local grapes such as Prensal Blanc, an indigenous white grape, and Manto Negro, a red grape, are harvested here and then blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Chardonnay to create fine wines.
We hope you have quenched your thirst for knowledge about Mallorca’s winemaking history. We strongly recommend you visit one of our many bodegas soon to get a taste for more!