In the greek-roman mythology the culture of the mediterranean sea is connected very close with wine growing. So reports the legend of the visit of the youngest and most sensuous gods of the Olymp in the Balears: Bacchus, also called Dionysos.

Since thousands of years the patron and protector for grapes stands as a symbol for a 'moist cheerfulness'. And this very often until delirium or ecstasy. That Bacchus has been in Ibiza for a while during his ecstasy phases and that this was the reason for the peculiar name of Ibiza, seems to be unbelievable like the round-about journey of Odysseus to the island Cabrera...

Drunken 'stone throwers'

Many antique documents, which were found and collected in the Balears during the centuries, indicate that the origin of the spanish wine was semitic and that the first wine - which was grown in this part of the european continent - was phoenician. Further back laying deliveries about the wine growing in the Balears are not known. But fact is that since centuries the Majorcans love to drink their wine. History writers suppose that the famous balearic "stone throwers" - those men who fought at the side of Hannibal against the roman empire - had an extraordinary wine thirst.

Today it is argued through the discovery of many drinking-vessels from the 7th and 6th century B.C., in which the wine was transported over the mediterranean sea, that always sufficient wine existed on the islands.

The coming of the Arabs  –  'dry' years for the Majorcans

Another assumed fact is that the Romans - who conquered the Balears through 'General Quinto Cecilio Metelo' 123 B.C. - were the first who brought and growed wine on the island. Under the roman influence and the later spreading of the christian belief, a special value and meaning was assigned to the wine : Wine as a symbol for the blood of Jesus Christ, who spent his blood for the humanity. This cultural role changed rapidly with the conquest of Mallorca through the Arabs. 'Other countries - other morals' it's called ! The Koran did not allow the production of wine. However, most of the mussulmen didn't follow this law and they still grew wine with the help of artful designed watering systems. It is a saying by arabs that this happened only because of the raisins, which has been an 'attractive food' for the moorish occupation forces.

In autumn of the year 1229 the troups of 'Jaime I.' liberated Mallorca from the Moorish and the wine prohibition. After the Balears were back to christian hands, one of the first actions of the King was, to give out licenses for growing wine on the island. The first who participated from this new law were the farmers and wine growers of the villages Bunyola, Campos, Felanitx, Manacor, Porreres and Valldemossa. This royal handout of licenses for wine growing has the same weight in the majorcan history books as the whole freeing of the majorcans from the arabs...

Wine and rich - Mallorca goes through a time of revival

Until the beginning of the 17th century the wine production in Mallorca was fairly constant. From antique papers it is known that it came to a drastic reduction of the wine growing areas in 1622, especially around Alcudia, Artá, Inca, Manacor and Montuiri. This was the consequence of a try to import cheap wine from Tarragona and Valencia.

Competition from the spanish mainland is now the biggest enemy of the majorcan wine. This crisis caused the powerful aristocrats of the island to enact a new law, which should help the local wine farmers. They gave out lease contracts up to 6 years. Farmers, who wanted to grow wine got a 100% subvention resp. tax reduction. A few years later these protection arrangements showed a positive result : 8,8 million litre wine were produced in the year 1777. This unbelievable amount increased to 14,8 million litre until the year 1790 ! In 1820 the royal valuers noted nearly 33 million litre wine. Until the 19th century the majorcan wine had its 'golden season'.

When the lous runs over the wine...

While the Majorcans in the mediterranean sea had new records in wine growing every year, the wine farmers on the other side of the world had a disastrous defeat on their wine fields. At the end of the 19th century the horrible "Filoxera" (wine lous) came to California and distroyed huge areas in the wine growing districts. A few months later the plague also arrived as a 'ship passenger' in Europe and destroyed the worldwide famous french wine fields. The wine production went down to a minimum. So the french wine farmers had to buy the good grapes for a high price from the majorcan wine farmers. This enormous demand let the wine production increase up to 75 million litre. The consequence of this development was, that the Majorcans established own maritim transport companies to export their wine to France. Unfortunately the "Filoxera" was one of the first 'passengers' back from France on the new ships.

End of may 1899 some wine farmers from Algaida and Llucmayor detected the first signs of the 'Filoxera' on their fields. The insect increased rapidly. Already end of the year the wine fields of seven villages were concerned. Another year later the wine production was so low, that the new ships for exporting the wine were not efficient anymore. Around 1900 the export went from approximately 50 million litre down to 3,5 million litre. From the former 30.000 hectares wine growing fields only 2.000 hectares were left at the beginning of the 20th century. Some years later almond trees were grown on the destroyed fields.

Beer instead of wine  –  The tourism extrudes the wine

Through the development of biological and chemical products the majorcan wine could recreate over the years - slowly but permanent. The spanish war in the thirties also affected Mallorca. And the following dictatorship of General Franco did not leave fertile land neither for the Mallorquins nor for the wine to grow... Left: Photo of an old wine bodega - around 1920

Only 2.000 hectares for growing wine were left over for the local wine farmers until 1958. In the sixties a new 'fruit' started to wake up the interest of the islanders: the tourism! The interest of the Mallorquins in growing wine nearly erased. Many sons and heirs of the traditional wine farmers forgot their wine fields and went to participate of the new wealth of hoteliers and construction companies. There was no reason for them to keep up the mallorquin wine culture. Most of the tourists didn't visit Mallorca for their famous names on the labels of the majorcan wine bottles - even today. Only a very few families kept the old tradition in growing wine. But the work of this new generation of wine companies is visible today : the quality and the wine areas increase and grow permant. Especially foreign wine lovers detected their sympathy for the majorcan 'Caldos'...

Majorcan wine production from 1777 until 1960   (in million litres)
8,8 1777	14,8 1790	33 1820	75 1899	50 1900	3,5 1901	15 1920	30 1940	50 1960	Wine road of Mallorca