From Vinícola de Binissalem to the island's benchmark
In 1931, at the age of 28, José Luis Ferrer Ramonell founded his winery under the name Vinícola de Binissalem — in the middle of a still largely rural Mallorca. From the beginning, he set standards: he was one of the first on the island to introduce aging in oak barrels, established commercial bottling, and promoted the export of Mallorcan wines to Europe and the USA. As late as the 1950s, he opened up a then barely known category: white wines based on the native Moll variety — for which there was almost no tradition on Mallorca and for which the market soon validated him.
Today, the family in the third and fourth generation continues what the founder began. José L. Roses Ferrer manages the winery together with his children María and Pepe. The bodega is still located just outside Binissalem, on the site that the founder laid out in 1931 — and whose oldest cement tanks are still in operation today.
Research in the vineyard, craftsmanship in the cellar
140 hectares of own vineyards form the basis — exclusively within the D.O. Binissalem-Mallorca. Since 2015, the winery has been conducting a research and development project in the vineyard in cooperation with the University of the Balearic Islands, Verdtech, and the CDTI: irrigation, pruning, canopy management, and grape thinning are controlled based on a systematic diagnostic procedure in order to unlock the full potential of the native varieties.
In the cellar, four structurally separate eras work together. The original cement tanks from 1931 (15,000 liters each) continue to serve for the fermentation and storage of the higher-quality red wines — the gentle fermentation in cement gives these wines a characteristic melt. Temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks from the 1995 expansion take over the vinification of the white and rosé wines to ensure freshness and fruit. Two barrel cellars hold up to 2,000 oak barrels made of American and French oak for the aging of the Crianza and Reserva wines.
Autochthonous varieties, Mediterranean style
Manto Negro is the backbone of the red wines — the variety with which Ferrer once dared to age in oak barrels for the first time on Mallorca. It is complemented by Callet, Gorgollassa, and Fogoneu as well as international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and Tempranillo. For the white wines, Prensal Blanc (Moll) and Giró Ros stand alongside Chardonnay and Moscatel. The range extends from Crianza to Rosado and Blanc de Blancs to Reserva and Gran Reserva — all under the D.O. Binissalem-Mallorca or the Vino de la Tierra Mallorca. A connecting feature: Mediterranean warmth, which is kept in balance by native varieties and controlled cellar aging. The red wines go well with leg of lamb with herbs, grilled meat, or mature Manchego; the whites pair well with fresh fish, seafood, or the classic Mallorcan pa amb oli.
