Mallorca tip: here Luxemburger drink their favorite wine

A true wine lover is curious. And so I am happy to discover the region’s products every time I go on vacation.

I have discovered many excellent wines on the Balearic Island of Mallorca in recent years. And since the distances on the « most beautiful island in the world » are not particularly large – Mallorca is not much larger than Luxembourg at 3,640 square kilometers – you can visit several Bodegas in one day.

The stony soils of Consell and Binissalem

An absolute favorite has become the Bodega Ribas over time. It is still run by the same family that she founded in 1711 and is located in the town of Consell in the middle of the island, on the street from Palma to Alcúdia. Consell is the neighboring town of the well -known wine town of Binissalem. In this region with its stony floors, the local grape varieties Prensal and especially Mantonegro thrive particularly well.

The way to Consell either leads over the A13 motorway or you venture through the pampas with the navigation device – then it can happen that you drive on very rural, dusty paths and suddenly find yourself in the middle of the vineyards … But somehow all paths lead to Consell.

In family ownership for 314 years

I am welcomed by Araceli Servera Ribas, which the winery has been in a tenth generation together with her brother Javier since 2004. The two oenologists have continued the modernization of Bodega, which was started by her mother María Antonia, and initiated new research projects to reduce environmental pollution. The Ribas wines have been biologically certified for some time. The two siblings also recognized the opportunities of wine tourism.

Many Luxembourgers have become regular guests at Ribas. You can try a few wines in the beautiful garden, but also book a longer wine tasting with delicious tapas or reserve a wonderfully laid table, for example for a family celebration with homemade paella.

Different product lines and price ranges

Of course, the wines of Ribas go with all of this. The house offers white, rose and red wines in various product lines. Ribas’ “entry -level wines” (around 16 euros) are fresh, full of primary aromas and easy to drink, the red Ribas comes onto the market a year later and can also be drunk well.

The Sió line is more demanding. The white wine is an excellent blend from prensal, Giró Ros and Viognier, the red wine consists of 60 percent mantone gro and 40 percent Syrah. Mantonegro is a very interesting grape variety, « it resembles a little bit of the Grenache, and just as you use south of the Rhone Syrah, makes the combination of Syrah with us with Mantonegro, » explains Josep Juhé de Ribas, Best Sommelier of the Balearic Islands 2022. There is also a 100% Viognier, a sweet white wine and a sweet rosé.

Mantonegro: Autochtone variety with international format

In addition to the red wines already presented, there are three more « negre » in the program, all of which celebrate the Mantonegro grape. The most expensive wine (almost 90 euros), Ribas de Cabrera, is « the result of a comprehensive study by the Mantonegro grape variety, its clones and the special soil of the vineyards of Can Ribas ». The Cuvée L’Amo en Joan 2020 is a tribute to the winemaker Joan Colom, who has planted the ancient Mantonegro vines himself.

A highlight for every tasting is a wine named after the actor Humphrey Bogart: Desconfío de la Gente Que No Bebe, « I distrust people who don’t drink ». This 100 % mantone gro is a « super mallor quin » that reflects the immense fruit of the grape variety when it is read optimally: black and red berries, dried fruit, spicy, incredibly long, smooth, yes balsamic! This Negro is definitely worth its price of around 50 euros and causes many surprises when tasting blindly.

A piece of jewelry by star architect Rafael Moneo

While the rose and white wines are mainly sold on the island, the red wines are mainly intended for export. « We also have customers in the USA and Japan, but most of it goes to Europe, because ultimately shipping after overseas is not sustainable, » emphasizes Araceli.

It leads me through the new facilities that will be put into operation in 2019: the production cellar for the rose and white wines on the upper floor, including the finest Ribas wines in a beautifully designed barriqueter, as you can Bordeaux-Châteaux knows. The Spanish star architect Rafael Moneo designed the interior with white exposed concrete in combination with wood paneling, handmade tiles and stone floors made of Binissalem stone: The slumbering ribas drops should feel comfortable here!