Little remains of the former greatness of viticulture in the Balearic Islands, especially on the island of Mallorca: The approximately 15 million litres of wine produced in the 19th century is today perhaps just three million litres. Nevertheless, viticulture has undergone a quite astonishing development in the last 20 years, especially on Mallorca. Today, tourists as well as wine merchants in Europe are tearing themselves apart for the wines of the beautiful vacation island, and rightly so. In addition to the excellent climate - long warm summers contrast with short cold winters - and the excellent soils, especially near the mountains, Mallorca also has two special, indigenous grape varieties in its portfolio; Callet and Manto Negro, from which highly interesting and exciting wines are produced. The AN/1 of Bodega Anima Negra has even made it to the status of a cult wine, as well as the "4Kilos" of the bodega of the same name, founded by a former oenologist of Anima Negra.
Mallorca has turned into a small, quite exclusive wine-growing country. Today there are two controlled origins on the island: the D.O. Binissalem with just 600 hectares and the even smaller D.O. Pla i Llevant with about 330 hectares. Both origins are a stomping ground for dedicated winemakers who produce very remarkable wines from the indigenous grape varieties as well as from international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah. White wines have also gained considerable stature.
The island's viticulture benefits from the tourists who, on the one hand, consume a lot of wine on the island itself and, on the other hand, carry the good image of Mallorcan wine out into the world.
Today, Mallorca has established itself among the top regions in Spain with consistently good quality wines, but unfortunately the quantities are limited due to the small area under vines. In Menorca and Ibiza, only country wines are cultivated.
