Wine producers settle argument

A decree from the Balearic Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, published in the Balearic Islands Official Gazette, says that any wine produced in Majorca with grapes grown on the island and bottled in the production area and with a protected quality trademark may now carry the name “Mallorca” on their labels.

This means that, as well as the Binissalem-Mallorca quality mark, the Pla i Llevant, Vins de la Terra de les Illes Balears, and the Vins de la Terra de la Serra de Tramuntana-Costa Nord quality marks will also be able to display the word “Mallorca” on their labels.

According to a 1999 decree, the Pla i Llevant wines are already entitled to use the name “Mallorca” on their labels, but they have never done so because of objections from the Binissalem wine producers, who incorporated the name of the island into their qualtiy mark from the beginning.

However, after years of arguments and negotiations an agreement has recently been reached which the Ministry described as “historic” as all the wines produced on Majorca with a quality trademark can now use the name “Mallorca”.

This had been the subject of repeated demands by the Majorcan wine producers outside of Binissalem.
The incorporation of the name “Mallorca” on all of these wines will make it easier for them to be identified and this will therefore help their marketing, especially when they are exported.

Wines which are produced in Majorca but do not carry a quality trademark are still banned from using the word “Mallorca” on their labels to avoid confusion. Nor can they use it in conjunction with terms such as “type”, “style”, “bottled in” or anything similar.

The varieties of grape authorised for the production of wine which will carry the name “Mallorca” are as follows.
The red varieties are: callet, manto negro, cabernet sauvignon, fogoneu, merlot, monestrell, sirah, ull de llebre and pinot noir.
The white varieties are: prensal (moll), chardonnay, macabeu, malvasia, moscatell d'Alexandria, moscatell de gra menut, parellada, riesling and sauvignon blanco.

Other technical requirements are: there cannot be more than 5'500 vines to the hectare; the maximum yield per hectare cannot exceed 11'000 kilos for white varieties and 10'000 kilos for red varieties; and the minimum natural alcoholic volume should be 10 percent for white varieties and 10.5 percent for red.

The wine producers who produce and bottle a quality trademark wine with the name “Mallorca” can only store or handle grapes, grape juice, or wine which comes from their production area, although they can store wine from other parts but only if it is already bottled, sealed and labelled when they receive it.