From Grape to Glass – Mallorca's Vineyards

1 January 2019

A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine. ~Anonymous

If you’re anything like me, you will love nothing more than relaxing after a hard day at work with a glass of wine. For me my tipple of choice is a crisp white wine, with a touch of ice. Perhaps you prefer the woody flavours of a vintage red wine, or a fruity rose to sip on by the poolside? Whatever takes your fancy, Mallorca’s impressive vineyards are sure to be harvesting some of the finest grapes, and producing some of the most delicious wines your palette has ever sampled- so I suggest you get exploring the island in search for your favourite bottle, and get ready to host a dinner party!

Wine Vineyard Grapes

Bodegas Ribas #

Finding your perfect wine, means that you’ll be required to taste a variety of wines and the beauty of Mallorca is that we have so many vineyards (often called Bodegas) where you can sample many of the local wines. One of the very best vineyards for sampling is Bodega Ribas in Consell. Wine production began here in 1711, making it the oldest vineyard on the island. Situated in a spectacular stately home dating back to the 18th century the property is still run by ancestors of the original owners, and throughout the years Bodega Ribas has gained high recognition within the wine industry, obtaining its Prestige over a century ago (pretty impressive!).

With more than forty hectares of vineyards, Bodega Ribas boasts the largest selection of grapes on the island- all harvested by hand, replicating the same procedures used three hundred years ago. If all of this sounds exciting to you, then why not book a tour around the vineyard? Bodega Ribas is open Monday-Friday from 10.00-18.00 and offers an array of packages. The most basic costs 18€ per person, and entitles you to an hour long tour with the opportunity to taste three wines and some homemade olive oil- pretty affordable in my book. Of course, you will need to factor in transport as after three glasses of delicious wine, you shan’t be able to drive home! There are also specialised packages including a traditional Mallorquin feast accompanied by complementing wines, and even special events with live music. Please, head to www.bodegaribas.com/en to find out more, and make your booking.

Pere Seda #

One of my favourite locally produced wines is Pere Seda’s chardonnay. Manufactured in Manacor on the East coast of the island, Pere Seda is a slightly more modern addition to the wine industry in Mallorca, only established in the 19th century this ‘new kid on the block’ certainly rivalled many of its competitors. By May 1903, Pedro Reus Morro (son of Pere Seda) had already won countless prizes at Palma’s agricultural fair, before expanding out to other areas of Spain and even Chile. In the last five years the expansion of the company has been quite remarkable, gaining international recognition across a broad range of new markets. This winery is a perfect example of ‘keeping it in the family’- with the vineyard signed over to his children (all eleven of them!) in 1942, Pere Seda’s family continue to produce wine today, in the same way that they did when their Father first began over a century ago.

Although it is not possible to tour this vineyard, almost all of the wines produced here are available at the local restaurants and bars between the areas of Manacor, Porto Cristo, Sa Coma, Cala Millor and Cala Bona; as well as being sold in many supermarkets here on the island. On average bottles cost between 6-9€ and I find it is money well spent.

For those of you who are interested in the ethics of wine production, Pere Seda is committed to being eco-friendly- using renewable energy in the form of solar panels and recycling everything- even the grape skins get turned into compost! For more information take a look at www.pereseda.com/en/historia.

Vineyard sencelles mallorca

Miquel Oliver #

On the edge of the beautiful and quaint village of Petra, lies Miquel Oliver; a fabulous and innovative winery here in Mallorca. Combining modern technology and traditional winemaking- the Oliver family have captured the essence of keeping the history alive but also moving with the times.

Being the first winery on the island to use steel tanks in their wine production, the 1865 wine cellar is the best preserved (of its generation) on the island.

Producing six red, two white and two rose wines, Miquel Oliver have something for everyone- from the comfortable Sunday snoozing bottle of red to the higher end ‘dinner party’ and ‘formal event’ wines - winning themselves two silver awards at the Zarilla Awards in Zurich (where over 2,000 wines compete). The best way to sample these gorgeous wines is to book one of several tours offered by the vineyard; open September-June 10.00-14.30- 15.30-18.30 and July and August 08.00-15.30 (Monday-Friday only), bookable via www.miqueloliver.com.

Nowadays, the winery is run by Miquel Oliver’s great granddaughter and her husband, and they hope to continue the century long production, for many more years to come.

  • Miquel Oliver

  • Miquel Oliver

Es Verger #

In the beautiful Serra de Tramuntana mountains is Es Verger, one of the first ecological vineyards on the island naturally cultivating and producing both virgin olive oil and wine on their seven hectares of vineyards and three hectares of olive groves.

No more than 15,000 litres of wine are produced here (on average) each year, which is considerably less than the larger scale wineries on the island. Because of this, Es Verger choose not to distribute their wines across the island, meaning that you can only purchase them in their farm shop- making for that extra special gift, and unique wine-drinking experience.

The very best way to sample the exquisite wines here is via pre-booked visit which will entitle you to a tour of an hour to two hours around the finca, vineyard and cellars, sampling the best pick of the wines on the way. Reservations can be made on the booking form found online at www.esverger.es/winery-visit-tasting-mallorca-wine-olive-oil.php.

  • Es verger

  • Es Verger

  • Es Verger

Vintage Vino #

Binissalem is one of Mallorca’s most prevalent regions for wine production, where wine has been produced and distributed internationally for hundreds of years. Sadly, this region was badly hit by the phylloxera plague during the 20th century, so wine production became almost non-existent for several years, but remarkably they have placed themselves back on the map as premium producers.

Finca Biniagual has held a place in the town’s heart since the 14th century, but only began producing wine again in 2002- making it one of the more current vineyards on the island. With four red wines, two white wines and a rose- Biniagual grow all of their own grapes for each individual wine- making for an authentic Mallorquin flavour.

As with Es Verger, this is a relatively small vineyard in comparison to others, so wines are only available for sale within the onsite shop. The best way to sample all of them is via booking a tasting tour. There are three types of tour, the basic wine tasting being accompanied with bread and olive oil (homemade), the second tour accompanied by local meats, breads and cheeses, and the third incorporating a visit to the hamlet of Biniagual before returning to the finca and sampling a local Mallorquin buffet. All prices are available on request; please visit www.bodegabiniagual.com/en/visits-and-tastings. to book your space.

Affordable Mallorca Tip: Special Occasion coming up? Why not book Biniagual, available for weddings, birthdays and conferences.

  • Bodegua Biniagual

  • Finca Biniagual

  • Bodega Biniagual

Cheers! #

No matter what takes your fancy, Mallorca has a wine to suit you. Combine the taste sensation with a tour around a historic vineyard and you’re set for an experience that you’ll remember for a lifetime…

Sources

www.bodegabiniagual.com/en/visits-and-tastings
www.esverger.es/winery-visit-tasting-mallorca-wine-olive-oil.php.
www.miqueloliver.com.
www.pereseda.com/en/historia.
www.bodegaribas.com/en

P... Wine Lover Experience!

#wine #tour #authenticmallorca #tasting #sampling #red #white #rose #awardwinning #historic

1 January, 2019

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