Binissalem
Encyclopedia
Binissalem is a small municipality
in the district of Raiguer
on Majorca, one of the Balearic Islands
, Spain
.
took possession of the island for Rome. Pliny the Elder
mentioned the wines of Majorca in his writings in the 1st century AD.
During the centuries of Moorish dominion, grape growing and wine production did not disappear despite the prohibitions of the Koran, as when king Jaume I conquered the island in 1230, he was offered top quality wine as a peace offering.
Before the arrival of the phylloxera
plague at the end of the 19th century there were about 27,000 ha under vines in Majorca and exports were 300,000 hl of wine per year. After the devastation of the virus, however, most of the vineyards were replaced by almond trees. During much of the late 19th century and early 20th century, the town continued its trade with France by manufacturing farm machinery.
In the middle 20th century Binissalem was noted for the quality of its woodwork and stonework. There are still successful and active quarries in or near the town, which has now grown to approximately 6,500 inhabitants.
In the late 20th century there was a revival of the wine industry due to the demand for quality wine by tourists.
It acquired its DO status in 1991, the first of the two Majorcan DOs to do so.
There are occasional risks of strong winds, frosts and hailstones. Rainfall is mainly in the autumn in the form of violent storms.
, Callet, Tempranillo
, Monastrell, Syrah and Merlot
.
The local white variety, Moll (also known as Prensal Blanc) represents about 70% of the white grapes planted, the other being, Macabeo
, Parellada
, Chardonnay
and Moscatel.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the district of Raiguer
Raiguer
Raiguer is a comarca located in the north-central part of Majorca, one of the Balearic Islands of Spain. It runs parallel to the Serra de Tramuntana district from the town of Marratxí to the town of Sa Pobla...
on Majorca, one of the Balearic Islands
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
History
Grape growing and wine production was introduced to the island by the ancient Romans in the year 121 BC when Quintus Caecilius Metellus PiusCaecilii Metelli
The Caecilii Metelli were one of the most important and wealthiest families in the Roman Republic. They were nobles, although of plebeian, not of patrician stock...
took possession of the island for Rome. Pliny the Elder
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
mentioned the wines of Majorca in his writings in the 1st century AD.
During the centuries of Moorish dominion, grape growing and wine production did not disappear despite the prohibitions of the Koran, as when king Jaume I conquered the island in 1230, he was offered top quality wine as a peace offering.
Before the arrival of the phylloxera
Phylloxera
Grape phylloxera ; originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America...
plague at the end of the 19th century there were about 27,000 ha under vines in Majorca and exports were 300,000 hl of wine per year. After the devastation of the virus, however, most of the vineyards were replaced by almond trees. During much of the late 19th century and early 20th century, the town continued its trade with France by manufacturing farm machinery.
In the middle 20th century Binissalem was noted for the quality of its woodwork and stonework. There are still successful and active quarries in or near the town, which has now grown to approximately 6,500 inhabitants.
In the late 20th century there was a revival of the wine industry due to the demand for quality wine by tourists.
It acquired its DO status in 1991, the first of the two Majorcan DOs to do so.
Geography
The area covered by the DO in the centre of the island, northeast of the town of Palma and is a high plateaux of rolling hills at altitudes of between 125 m and 300 m above sea level. To the north is the Sierra de Alfabia range which protects the vineyards from the cold and wet sea winds that blow during the winter.Soils
The soils are loose and poor in nutrients, with lime over clay and occasional layers of hard lime crusts, which contributes to water retention.Climate
The climate is maritime Mediterranean, with warm hot summers and short mild winters. Excessive heat in the summer is the main problem that the grape growers have to cope with, though the altitude helps to keep down temperatures during the night.There are occasional risks of strong winds, frosts and hailstones. Rainfall is mainly in the autumn in the form of violent storms.
Grapes
The local red variety, Manto Negro, represents about 50% of the red grapes planted, the others being Cabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
, Callet, Tempranillo
Tempranillo
Tempranillo is a variety of black grape widely grown to make full-bodied red wines in its native Spain. It is the main grape used in Rioja, and is often referred to as Spain's "noble grape". Its name is the diminutive of the Spanish temprano , a reference to the fact that it ripens several weeks...
, Monastrell, Syrah and Merlot
Merlot
Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...
.
The local white variety, Moll (also known as Prensal Blanc) represents about 70% of the white grapes planted, the other being, Macabeo
Macabeo
Viura, also called Macabeo or Macabeu is a white variety of wine grape.It is widely grown in the Rioja region of northeastern Spain, the Cava producing areas south of Barcelona, and the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France...
, Parellada
Parellada
Parellada is a white grape variety of Catalan origin specially grown in Catalonia. With Macabeu and Xarel·lo, is one of the three traditional varieties used to make the sparkling wine Cava, which is primarily produced in Catalonia...
, Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
and Moscatel.