Wine tells and contains the stories of the land where it is grown. This is why it is worth delving into the wine production that concerns the island of Formentera: only about twenty kilometers of land in the middle of the Mediterranean, where only figs and rosemary grow and drought exacerbates the active ingredients of each plant. Despite being a 'very small island, wine is grown in several areas: at La Mola by the Terramoll winery (a promontory that reaches 200 meters in height), at Cap de Barbaria by the winery of the same name, and by farmers in the countryside. The curious note is that many indigenous grape varieties such as Monastrell or Fogoneu are raised free of foot.
TERRAMOLL
Jose Abalde, Terramoll's winemaker, let me taste several wines, including the classic white Savina, a blend of Viogner, Malvasia, Moscatel and "white Garnacha," with an intense aroma in which exotic and white fruit notes predominate and which reveals a mineral character. Fresh, balanced, with good acidity. Next I tried the "massive" Es Monestir" (100% Monastrell), black cherry red, with aromas of ripe fruit and underbrush. Passed in new barrels, a fleshy wine with well-integrated tannins, good structure and persistent.
CAP DE BARBARIA
An elaborate red wine, composed of barrel-aged Merlot and Cabernet blended with native Fogoneu and Monastrell grapes. It has received several international awards and is a difficult product, made in a diverse soil (ranging from sandy to limestone) exposed to a difficult climate. One tasting expert described it this way: a Mediterranean wine, marine, at times exotic, without excesses of wood and alcohol, it tastes of sea wind, you find there myrtle, strawberry tree, laurel, black bramble fruit, sun-dried flowers. In the mouth it is of great balance, elegant, ample and with great flavor.
PAYÈS WINE
Payés means peasant and this appellation characterizes almost all the cuisine of Formentera ( payesa salad, etc.,).Thus, there is also a simple wine, which many people grow in the countryside, with sometimes excellent and sometimes impractical results.
Beyond the wine, there are also two liquors that are very common throughout the Balearic Islands that have to do with the history of Formentera: the Hierbas, a fragrant mix of herbs, a liquor born in Es Caló and then produced to be marketed in Ibiza ela Frigola, similar but made with thyme, one of the plants that along with rosemary covers the sola.
But there is also another wine that can somehow represent the essence of Formentera: it is a secret product at the moment, to be offered by the Italian winery Filò delle Vigne. Carlo Giordani, one of the owners, spends a lot of time with his family in the house at La Mola, and looking at the island from above gave him an inspiration that we will soon be able to sip...
Stefania Campanella
We would like to thank Stefania Campanella for this contribution and suggest those interested in learning more to check out the site:
www.formenteranonesiste.com
