Binissalem
Illes Balears · Balearic Islands
DO Binissalem9.350inhabitants
1300first mention
1807wine documented
A town of the Raiguer, in central Majorca, which gives its name to the DO Binissalem. The name comes from an Andalusi farmstead (Bani + a personal name). James II founded it in 1300 by moving the old village of Robines next to the royal road, and it obtained the title of villa (town) in 1369.
First mention: James II of Majorca founded the town in 1300 (Ordinacions) and moved the old village of Robines to the farmstead of Binissalem, next to the royal road.
The legend
vines in Majorca since 121 BC (DO account); Binissalem wine mentioned in 1807; phylloxera 1891The esteemed wines of Binissalem and the Vermada
The Regulatory Council's account begins with the vine introduced to Majorca around 121 BC, the Balearic wines that Pliny compared with those of Italy, and the grapes that, according to the chronicle, were offered to James I in 1230. For Binissalem specifically, the oldest mention cited by the DO is that of a French traveller in 1807, who wrote that the wines of Binissalem and Sencelles were highly esteemed. Throughout the 19th century their fame grew: Archduke Ludwig Salvator described its vineyards, and in the village it is said that Jules Verne mentioned its wine. Between 1865 and 1890 Majorca enjoyed an export boom while phylloxera was ravaging France, until the plague reached the island in 1891 and drove many to emigrate.
Alive today: Binissalem gives its name to Majorca's first DO, recognised in 1990–1991 and focused on the local Manto Negro and Moll grapes. Every September the village celebrates the Festa des Vermar, begun in 1965, with the traditional treading of the grapes. José L. Ferrer, founded in 1931, is still there.
Wineries and their wines
- Dues Mantonegro Cabernet Sauvignon
- Ferreret Mantonegro
- José L. Ferrer Blanc de Blancs
- José L. Ferrer Crianza
- José L. Ferrer Reserva
- Pedra de Binissalem Negre
- Veritas Brut Nature
- Veritas Dolç
Wine towns nearby