Pollenca Wine Fair 2018 Review

We headed to the ticket entrance, where we paid €12 in exchange for an entrance ticket, and a goody bag containing a wine glass, a €4 voucher to go towards some wine, a booklet about all the vineyards and wines featuring in the event and of course a pen to write down all the notes about our favourite wines. We then headed through the doors of another entrance and entered a charming courtyard setting.

Over the next two hours, we went on to explore the 39 vineyards and try the various wines which took our fancy. Each stall was staffed by people who would serve any wines on display at your request, and were full of knowledge about the wines if you had any questions. Alongside the endless bottles of wines, there was of course water and a spittoon, as seasoned wine tasters know, it’s essential to expectorate when tasting lots of different wines, otherwise you will soon feel the effects. Nevertheless, it’s an individual choice and most wine tasters at this event were opting for the full experience, which included swallowing the wine! Although people were taking it quite seriously, swirling, sniffing and then sipping. To facilitate palate cleansing there were plenty of traditional Mallorquin Quely biscuits on each stall, an olive oil based savory biscuit.

Some of Mallorca’s biggest wine producers were at the event along with some smaller vineyards looking to showcase their own fermentations. Mallorca has two regions awarded the Spanish D.O (Denominación de Origen) and these are Binissalem and Pla i Llevant and there were quite a few vineyards from these areas in attendance. Binissalem’s Celler Tianna Negre and José L Ferrer were popular, with a constant crowd of people gathered around their stalls. Pla i Llevant’s Pere Seda and Miquel Oliver also made an appearance. Other recognisable names were Macià Batle and Bodegas Angel both within close proximity to Santa Maria del Cami. But it was interesting to see wines being grown across a wide range of areas on the island: Felanitx, Sencelles, Petra, Muro, Llucmajor, Esporles, Manacor and Pollenca. You could literally find something from the north, south, east and west!

Obviously wine is very subjective so I won’t go into too much detail on my favourites, as yours might be very different to mine. But here are just a few wines that really made an impression. Jose Luis Ferrer and their Blanc de Blancs 2017, is an absolute delight to drink. It has a bouquet of peaches, pineapple and florals and you experience the fresh and fruity citrus flavours as soon as it hits the palate. I find it more flavoursome than some of the other Mallorcan white wines. When it comes to Rose wine, I normally like to try and find one that is pale in colour i.e. a blush, but the Mesquida Mora and their Acrollam Rosat 2017 is an exception. It’s a wine full of character and fruity flavours without being too sweet, it’s also an ecological wine which is an added bonus. When it came to the reds, it was hard to choose as I do enjoy many of Mallorca’s red wines, particularly those made with Syrah grapes. But I would like to highlight a unique wine I came across from Can Xanet, which was their Sibila 2014, made from 100% Gorgollassa, a native Mallorquin grape and creates a pale, light red wine. Think red fruits like strawberries with some Mediterranean herbs.

This event was open from 10:00 until 20:30 on Saturday 21st April and 10:00 until 14:00. As we left at 18:30, there was a string of people still waiting to get in. This is an unmissable event for anyone who is interested in learning more about Mallorca’s wine offering, so do keep an eye on the SeeMallorca Events Calendar for 2019’s dates!