The Allure of Wine from the Balearic Islands

The Balearic Islands have become synonymous with Mediterranean summer holidays. From beach club-hopping in the balmy Ibiza sun to swimming in the crystal clear bays of Menorca, it's no wonder 2.3 million Brits visit the archipelago each summer.

Though the islands have produced wine since 121 BC, its production lacks the fame that favours their neighbours on the mainland. However, what stood out to me on two recent trips to Mallorca and Menorca was the gracious cellar door hospitality and the quality wine being produced here as a result of unique terroir and local grapes.

Wines at Bodegas Binifadet, Menorca

The Roman Empire ruled across the islands for some 1,000 years and even when the Arabs took over in the year 903, wine production continued - though business slowed due to beliefs around drinking alcohol. It was only when the Christians re-occupied the land in 1229 that vines were allowed to be replanted and the economy really recovered. Although a sweet style of Malmsey (Malvasia) was what originally put Balearic wine production on the map, this style disappeared along with most of the vine area with the arrival of phylloxera in the late 19th Century. There are currently two Denominaciones de Origens (DOs) in the Balearic Islands, both of which are found in the popular island of Mallorca. These are DO Binissalem and DO Pla i Llevant. Multiple other Vino de la Tierra (VT) classifications can be found, including Ibiza VT, Formentera VT, Isla de Menorca VT, Mallorca VT and the catch-all Illes Balears VT.

Bodegas Binifadet, Menorca

Key local varieties include Manto Negro, which is light in colour but high in alcohol with red fruit flavours, and Callet, which is lower in alcohol but also has red fruit flavours with medium acidity. Fogoneu is sometimes used as part of the blend to add colour, body and ripe black fruit flavours. Moll (Prensal Blanc) is a local, neutral white grape with aromas of green apples and almonds that can be used for still or sparkling blends. The landscape, with patchworks of vines alongside olive, almond and citrus trees, and the nutrient poor limetone soil, is conducive to grape growing. It's not hard to achieve ripe grapes in the climate - controlling alcohol levels and maintaining freshness is their main concern.

Menorca has roughly 153 ha of vines, grown in calcareous subsoil of ‘marés’ sandstone, covered by a layer of clay loam. The former gives the wine vibrant acidity and minerality and the latter aids with complexity and depth. This sandstone is used to build the distinctive stone walls seen in these photos, which protect the vines from the strong Tramuntana wind, which in itself helps alleviate disease pressure in this humid climate. The stone is also perfect for carving out the cellars which keep the ageing wine cool. On a recent trip to the island, we went to Bodegas Binifadet and were shown these cellars, where the wine aged in 500 litre old French oak barrels and where the sparkling wine is riddled by hand on these frames. 

Riddling frames

My favourite that we tasted at Bodegas Binifadet was their Foraster, made from Garnacha Blanca and the local variety Giró Ros - a highly aromatic, pink skinned grape, that suits skin contact and barrel ageing (this one was aged for three months). Usually not my sort of thing… but this style is made for food, with it’s savoury character and sweet spice notes, and the food at Binifadet is heavenly! Had an absolute feast of sticky, roasted leeks with stracciatella, confit cod omelette, richly savoury Menorcan mushroom rice and Mahón cheesecake with fig jam.

Food at Bodegas Binifadet, Menorca

Mallorca has roughly 600 ha of vines, mainly located in Binissalem. The Sierra de Alfaba mountains protect the vineyards from harsh winds. I visited Bodegas José L. Ferrer on a recent trip to Mallorca and enjoyed a flight of one each of their red, white, rosé and sparkling. Both the sparkling (Veritas Brut Nature) and the still white (Pedra de Binissalem Blanc) were made from the Moll variety. They were fresh and citrussy, with hints of fennel, almonds and blossom. The rosé (Veritas Roig) was made from Manto Negro - light and easy drinking, with notes of orange, strawberry and white peach. Finally, the red (Veritas Vinyes Velles) was made from old vine Manto Negro, Cabernet Sauvignon, Callet and Syrah. This had complexity in the form of intense smokiness and spicy black fruit as well as smooth tannins from oak ageing.

Bodegas José L. Ferrer, Mallorca

Wines from the Balearic islands are generating more popularity in recent years, with winemakers using more modern techniques and embracing local varieties and the distinctive terroir of the region to attract customers from all over the world. It's definitely a region to watch if you're after value for money wines and Instagrammable wine tourism.