It was the Roman's that really began wine making in Mallorca, passing on skills of cultivating vineyards. The Mallorcan wine industry is often associated with cheap imported Spanish wines, which are often billed as Majorcan! In recent years though the island is establishing a real reputation for some good quality wines.

There are two very distinct vine-growing areas in Mallorca. One in the centre around the districts of Binissalem, Consell, Santa Maria, Sencelles and Santa Eugenia, producing from 111 to 141 wines which are smooth on the palate and of excellent quality. Then there is the eastern Majorca area, comprising the municipal districts of Felanitx, Porreres and Manacor, producing from 101 to 131 wines.

There are a growing number of Mallorcan wineries that are producing impressive wines from varieties of grapes largely indigenous to this Mediterranean island. All of these areas and wineries offer wine tasting and can be booked via our knowledgeable staff.

When purchasing the wines remember crianza is good, reserva even better, gran reserva the best.

The Grapes

There are a number of Mallorcan varieties beginning to appear. Callet is a  variety indigenous to Mallorca. Its flavor is a cross between the spicy, herbal qualities of Cabernet France and a powerful Syrah. One of Mallorca’s best-known red wines, An Tinto from Anima Negra, is made mostly from Callet.

The most widely planted grape is the red Manto Negro and the white Prensal also called Moll. Others include Fogoneu and Girò Blanc. Sometimes they're blended with more familiar varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

Gargollasa is a grape that was a staple of the island in the 18th Century and all but disappeared when phylloxera hit in the 1890s. Manto Negro, which is far easier to cultivate, has taken its place but some wineries are attempting to resurrect the grape. The Gargollasa looks like Pinot Noir and tastes like strawberry soda, though with a harsh tannic structure.

Spanish Wines

The main producers of wines- Rias Baixas, Ribeiro, Rioja and Navarra all have wines available in Mallorca. For example reds wines such as Paternina, Campo Viejo are good average wines. Marques de Caceres Crianza, Faustino V are excellent choices. Some good white wines are Martin Codax Albarino, Faustino VII and Marques de Caceres.

Rioja is the most prestigious wine region of Spain. Rioja is cradled between the Pyrenees and the Atlantic. Probably best known for its red wines, mature with a distinctive vanilla mellowness, similar to claret . Rioja also produces some decent white and rose wines.

Navarra also produces some very good red wines and some excellent rosados (rose)

Penedes is located in Catalunya,around Valencia and Alicante. Catalunya is the home of cava (the traditional method of sparkling wine) and also produces some beefy red and fine white wines. Some of the good producers of wine are Penedes, Jumilla and Costers del Segre, and wines available here are Chardonnay Raimat, Rene Barbier, Miguel Torres as well as a large selection of cava.

Sherry

To be considered a genuine ‘sherry’ a wine must come from the ‘sherry triangle’ which is a region on the Atlantic coast of Anadalucia bordered by the towns of Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

As with wine, the different regions are governed by the Denominaciónes de Origen which control their quality. We’ll cover the main types first.

There are three main types of widely-available sherry; dry, medium and sweet.

Fino and Manzanilla are dry sherries, pale in color and delicately flavored.
They are primarily served as aperitifs before the meal and with tapas as a starter. Amontillado is medium-dry and golden amber in colour . Oloroso is a medium dark rich sherry. Moscatel and Pedro Ximénez are sweet desert sherries.
Pale Cream is basically a fino that has been sweetened.  Cream is commonly found and is classed as a desert wine.

A Selection of Mallorcan Wines as recommended by our chef's.

Our private chefs have created a wine list based on recommendations and are happy to suggest wines from the local area and the mainland which will complement any of their dishes.

RED:

Aya

Ferritges 04

Experimen

An tinto

Obac 04

Ses hereves

R. Lopez de heredia rioja 1998

Franja rioja 2002

Ribras de cabrera 2002

WHITE:

Chardonnay Toni Gelabert

Muscat Miquel Oliver

Mortix

Soma 2005

Chardonnay Son Bordibe

El Coto Rioja 2005

Macia Batle Blanco 2000

ROSE:

Mortix

Macis Batle

Ferramoll( From Formentera Island)

Jaume Mesquida

Ribera De Los Molinos 2004