The president of the DO Binissalem Regulatory Council, José Luis Roses, reviews these thirty years of existence of the pioneer entity.
"The official history of the DO Binissalem starts in 1990, but before that a great job was done to achieve it ...
"Of course. My grandfather, José Luis Ferrer, was a pioneer in the defense of Mallorcan wine and especially of that made in our area. With the tourist boom, a lot of wine was marketed that came from outside and that was labeled as if it were from Binissalem. To get an idea, between three and four million litres a year were marketed with the Binissalem logo when there were really only about 300,000 litres from here. In the eighties of the last century this changed and we responded to this circumstance, and to the great difference in grape prices with respect to the outside, with a commitment to quality and differentiation. When we achieved the DO Binissalem we achieved the definitive boost that the sector needed."
"How would you define these thirty years?"
"We always depend on the climate and the market, but what I can say is that the DO Binissalem has always fought for the recognition of certain local varieties and special soil conditions, with abundant stone and excellent drainage. Those of us who are dedicated to the wine world know that we can never look at the short term and the same happens with the Denominació d'Origen Binissalem, we must always know how to see beyond the day to day and move on.
"What challenges does the DO Binissalem pose for the future?"
"Our main challenge is to get more involved with Mallorcan society; We need Mallorcans to believe in our product. During the confinement our best clients were foreigners residing in Mallorca and we must make the islanders bet more on our wines. It is a trend that is changing because we have detected that younger consumers do choose local wines. The other front is in the world of tourism and restoration. Right now the offer of our wines occupies only 18% in the menus, when in other countries the local product is the almost absolute main character of the food and wine offer.