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The on the Balearic Islands made wines are of good quality and have a grand international prestige.
The wines of the islands are under tutelage of the Denominaciones de Origen (DO) (certificate of origin) and represent a sector on the height of the Balearic gastronomy.
Although wine has been produced on the islands since Roman times (vines were introduced around 121 BC), the industry here is still very much evolving.
The islands have two official DO wine titles: Pla i Llevant (introduced in 2001) and Binissalem-Mallorca, both of which are on the island of Majorca.
The latter was the islands' first DO title, and the first ever granted outside the Spanish mainland. Although there are just two DO's, a number of VT-classified zones are spread throughout the other islands.
It was sweet Malmsey wine that first put the Balearic Islands' wines in demand, particularly from England, the Netherlands and Germany.
This wine style all but disappeared in the late 19th Century with the arrival of phylloxera, which devastated the local vine population.
Several native varieties never recovered form this attack, but local varieties Manto Negro, Callet, Fogoneu and Moll (Prensal Blanc) are still in use today.
They are complemented by ever-more fashionable French varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay, which have brought broader appeal to wines from the Balearics, as has Spain's very own Tempranillo.
Currently, most Balearic wines are made in fresh, aromatic styles designed for early consumption.
