An island with history

Vine cultivation existed in Menorca during the Roman Empire and was maintained even under Muslim rule. Its period of greatest splendour came in the 17th century. The many places across the island known as “vinya” (vineyard) are a living reminder of this long-standing tradition.

In this sense, Menorca enjoyed a very significant level of wine production for more than a century. Following the British conquest in 1708, a growing population — which almost doubled in the space of one hundred years — together with the presence of British troops and the frequent stays of Royal Navy sailors, strongly stimulated the expansion of vineyards. 

At that time, vine cultivation extended across the entire island, although wine was shipped mainly from the port of Maó due to its strategic military and commercial position.

Even today, other agri-food products produced in different parts of the island still carry the reference to Maó in their name, as is the case with Mahón–Menorca cheese.

Wine production grew significantly until the 1760s, when it began to stabilise. It is estimated that production increased from 1,900,000 litres between 1730 and 1749 to 2,910,000 litres between 1760 and 1809, representing a growth of 54%.

At the turn of the century, vineyard plantations continued to expand, reaching their peak between 1810 and 1814 when vineyard surface area amounted to around 1,300 hectares For all these reasons, Menorcan wine was highly appreciated at the time for its quality.

Local press archives show that advertisements for island wines experienced a boom between 1884 and 1898. During this period, branded wines also began to appear in advertisements, some of which are reproduced in historical records, clearly demonstrating the vitality of the sector.

For various reasons — notably fungal diseases such as powdery mildew and the phylloxera plague that affected vineyards across Europe — wine production on the island entered a period of decline. The final blow to its progressive abandonment came with the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, after which wine production was largely reduced to private consumption. 

From 1980 onwards, several initiatives emerged to revive vine cultivation, as the island’s winemaking tradition had never completely disappeared. Some initiatives followed traditional production methods, making use of abandoned vineyards, while others involved new plantings using grafted vines of noble French and Spanish varieties, already established in the rest of the Balearic Islands and sourced from certified nurseries. Shortly afterwards, in the early 1990s, the first modern winery was established.

Growth was slow until the year 2000, but from then on the sector experienced a significant revival. According to the Menorca Wine Producers Association, wineries declared a total of 2,394 hectolitres of wine in 2025 under the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) Illa de Menorca, representing a 27 per cent increase compared to the previous vintage, when production reached 1,882 hectolitres. White wine continues to dominate production, accounting for 49 per cent of the total, followed by red wine (26 per cent) and rosé (25 per cent).
It should be noted that not all wine produced in Menorca falls under the PGI Illa de Menorca. According to the Menorca Wine Producers Association, wineries declared a total of 2,394 hectolitres of wine in 2025 under the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) Illa de Menorca, representing a 27 per cent increase compared to the previous vintage, when production reached 1,882 hectolitres. White wine continues to dominate production, accounting for 49 per cent of the total, followed by red wine (26 per cent) and rosé (25 per cent).
It should be noted that not all wine produced in Menorca falls under the PGI Illa de Menorca. There are two additional categories: wines protected by the PGI Illes Balears and wines without a geographical quality designation (formerly known as table wine). When all three categories are combined, total production amounts to 2,794 hectolitres, representing a 23.7 per cent increase compared to 2024 and making this vintage the highest in volume since the recovery of viticulture on the island nearly thirty years ago.

Production was marketed under three categories: IGP Vi de la Terra Illa de Menorca (70%), IGP Vi de la Terra Illes Balears (8%) and wines without a geographical designation of quality (22%). The Association is made up of twelve wineries, as well as one estate that already cultivates vineyards but has not yet begun wine production. These include: Bodegas Binifadet, Sa Cudia, Celler Solano, Vinyes Binitord, Hort Sant Patrici, Sa Marjaleta, Bodegas Torralbenc Vell, Sa Bodega de Son Cremat, Torralba Agrícola, Domaine Santa Catalina, Morvedra and Al Parico. Together, they form a solid sector that generates employment and makes a significant contribution to the local economy.

*Information by IQUA