Mallorca is usually associated with beaches, seafood, and summer holidays. But after spending time on the island, I realised something else deserves much more attention: the wines.
Not because Mallorca is trying to become the next big wine region, but because the wines feel genuinely connected to the island itself. They reflect the climate, the Mediterranean landscape, and the local grape varieties in a very direct way. During my stay, I visited three wineries in Mallorca near Manacor and Petra, each showing a very different side of the island’s wine culture, from small family-run projects to more established producers working with both native and international grapes.
This is where wines of Mallorca start to make much more sense than they do just from reading about them.
If you want to better understand the island’s grapes, wine regions, and wine culture before planning your tastings, make sure to also read my complete guide to wines of Mallorca here.
Vins Toni Gelabert – Small Production, Big Character
My first winery visit on the island was at Vins Toni Gelabert near Manacor, and it could not have been a better introduction to Mallorca wine.
The winery was founded by Toni Gelabert in 1979 and today remains a very small family project with only 6 hectares of vineyards and around 35,000 bottles produced annually. Interestingly, around 80% of the wines are sold directly in Mallorca, which already tells you how local and personal the project still feels.
They work biodynamically and closely follow the lunar calendar in both vineyard and cellar work. Native varieties play a major role here, but the winery also experiments with grapes that you would not necessarily expect to see on the island.
What stayed with me most was the hospitality. We tasted outside under a large olive tree with Toni and his wife, while his grandson showed my family around the vineyard. It never felt commercial or overly polished, just welcoming and relaxed.
And the wines reflected that same feeling: expressive, balanced, and very Mediterranean.
Macabeu 2023
This was the real surprise of the tasting.
Only five rows of Macabeu exist on the estate, making it the only single-varietal Macabeu wine in Mallorca. The wine undergoes a long fermentation in stainless steel and is aged on lees during maturation.
The nose is immediately expressive with ripe apple, pear, apricot, yellow blossom, honeysuckle, and elderflower. On the palate, the wine is completely dry but incredibly fresh and precise. Citrus, green apple, pear, and floral notes continue through the palate with excellent balance. The finish is long, citrusy, and clean without becoming sharp. A beautifully made wine that feels aromatic and refreshing at the same time.
Torre des Canonge Blanc 2023
A completely different expression of Mallorca whites. Made from 100% Giró Blanc, a native variety, this wine spent five months in barrel with bâtonnage, and around only 4,000 bottles are produced.
The nose is intense and layered, with brioche, vanilla, pineapple, honey, and dried fruits already showing a more serious style. On the palate, the high acidity keeps everything lifted despite the richer texture. Honey, ripe pineapple, slight nuttiness, and almond notes dominate the long aftertaste. A wine with excellent structure and complexity that could easily age for another 10–15 years.
Illenc Colonia de Sant Pere 2022
A blend of 70% Callet and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon from vineyards located only around 100 metres from the sea near Artà. The wine spent one year in large French oak barrels and partly in new oak.
The nose is sweet and ripe with dark cherry, black plum, black pepper, cinnamon, toffee, and vanilla. The palate is fruit-driven but supported by peppery spices and very high, still youthful tannins that clearly need more time to soften. Good acidity keeps the wine balanced, and the finish is long and persistent.
Pinot Noir 2022
Pinot Noir is extremely rare in Mallorca, and only three wineries on the island work with it. This wine spent 12 months in French oak, with only three barrels and around 1,500 bottles produced.
The nose is ripe and spicy with red cherries, roses, plums, sweet baking spices, and cherry pie aromas. The palate shows high but ripe tannins that still need time to soften further. Cherry dominates the finish, supported by fresh acidity and subtle oak spice. A very surprising wine with real ageing potential for another decade.
Vins Miquel Gelabert – Precision and Experimentation
While Toni Gelabert felt very intimate and traditional, Vins Miquel Gelabert near Manacor showed another side of Mallorca: more experimental, more technical, but still deeply connected to local grapes.
The winery started in 1985, while the cellar itself dates back to 1909. What I found especially interesting is that everything happens directly on-site: ageing, bottling, and labelling. Red wines generally spend one year in barrel, with around 80% French oak and 20% American oak used throughout the cellar.
Many wines combine local varieties with international grapes, creating wines that feel polished and structured while still keeping that Mediterranean freshness.
Sa Vall Selecció Privada 2019
A fascinating expression of Giró Ros. The wine comes from the Sa Vall vineyard and was aged in selected barrels previously used for Chardonnay, which already hints at the style.
The nose is extremely floral with elderflower, apple blossom, white flowers, quince, and a subtle touch of vanilla. On the palate, the wine is dry with high acidity and alcohol, but everything remains integrated. Ripe apple, peach, nectarine, elderflower, and vanilla dominate the flavour profile, leading into a long floral-citrusy finish. A very high-quality white with another 5–10 years of ageing potential ahead.
San Moix Blanc 2019
A single-vineyard wine combining Giró Ros and Chardonnay.
The floral notes from Giró Ros are beautifully balanced by the riper fruit character of Chardonnay. White blossom, elderflower, peach, pear, and melted butter dominate the nose. The palate feels harmonious and fresh despite the richer texture. Green apple, peach, lemon, acacia, honey, vanilla, and butter continue through the wine with a long citrusy finish. Complex, balanced, and clearly age-worthy.
Grand Vinya Son Caules 2015
One of the most serious Callet wines I tasted in Mallorca. A single-vineyard wine made from 100% Callet.
The nose is dominated by black forest fruits: blackberry, black currant, black plum, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, vanilla, coconut, and smoke. On the palate, the wine feels intense and powerful with high acidity, high alcohol, and ripe tannins that still need more time to soften completely. The flavours mirror the nose beautifully, and the finish is long with lingering black currant notes. A wine with another 15–20 years of ageing potential very easily.
Colom de Penya 2018
The top wine of the winery and one of the most memorable wines from the entire trip. Its name means “pigeon from the rocks,” and every vintage is built from the best grapes available that year. Usually, at least ten varieties are blended together in roughly equal proportions.
The nose is dark, ripe, and powerful with cherry, cassis, cardamom, mint, tobacco, and liquorice. The palate feels youthful, fresh, and incredibly complex. The tannins are ripe and smooth but very persistent, giving the wine serious ageing potential for another 15–20 years. Black cherry and dark forest fruit flavours dominate the long finish. This is the type of wine that either deserves a proper protein-heavy dinner or simply a quiet evening on its own.
Miquel Oliver – One of the Best Family-Friendly Wineries in Mallorca
Among the many wineries in Mallorca, Miquel Oliver stands out for combining historic tradition with modern winemaking.
The winery works with 22 hectares and is considered the oldest operating winery in Mallorca. Miquel Oliver himself is now 94 years old, representing the third generation of the family. Historically, the winery was also the first in Mallorca to introduce stainless steel tanks and bottling.
The old cellar in the centre of Petra dates back more than a century and was purchased in 1912. At the same time, the winery is strongly focused on sustainability today, using solar panels, recyclable water systems, and biodynamic farming while continuously experimenting with old vines and different trellising systems to better protect grapes from humidity and heat.
And honestly, if you are travelling with children, this is probably one of the most family-friendly wineries in Mallorca near Manacor. While parents taste the wines, kids immediately get fascinated by the colourful stainless steel tanks painted as Minions inside the cellar. It creates a much more relaxed atmosphere for families and makes the visit enjoyable even if not everyone is focused only on wine.
Son Caló Blanc 2023
A very pure expression of Prensal Blanc.
The wine is light, fresh, and immediately approachable with aromas of white flowers, minerality, lemon peel, honeysuckle, and elderflower. The palate is balanced and light-bodied with citrus flavours dominating alongside high acidity and chalky minerality. A perfect summer wine that works best young and fresh.
QBQ 2022
One of the most interesting whites from the trip. Made from 100% Giró Ros and aged for nine months in acacia barrels and ceramic amphora.
The nose feels aromatic and ripe with apricot, peach, nectarine, acacia, vanilla, melted butter, and even a touch of honey. The palate shows riper stone fruit flavours together with orange, lemon, honeysuckle, and acacia. The acidity and alcohol are very well balanced, while the texture has a slightly oily character that gives extra depth. Long citrusy finish and another 3–5 years of ageing potential easily.
Xperiment 2021
A very different side of Callet. Made from 65-year-old vines with only 400 bottles produced.
The nose immediately reminded me of a Mediterranean Syrah with black olives, pepper, earthy notes, and dark forest fruits.On the palate, the wine is smooth, ripe, and already approachable despite the oak influence. Smoke, spice, and dark fruit dominate the long finish, while the tannins stay medium-plus and well integrated. Ready to drink now, but still serious and complex.
What These Wineries Taught Me About Wines of Mallorca
Before visiting Mallorca, I expected heavier wines because of the climate. But the reality was completely different.
The best wines consistently focused on freshness, balance, and drinkability rather than power. Native grapes like Callet, Giró Ros, and Prensal Blanc worked especially well because they seem naturally adapted to the island conditions.
Another thing I noticed is how personal many wineries still feel. Mallorca has modern wineries and ambitious projects, but much of the wine culture remains family-driven and relatively small-scale. That changes the experience completely. You are not just tasting wines. You are usually tasting them with the people who made them.
And that connection stays with you long after the holiday ends.
Conclusion
If you are searching for wineries in Mallorca, especially around Manacor and Petra, these three wineries offer one of the best introductions to the island’s wine scene.
Some wineries in Mallorca focus more on modern styles, others stay closely connected to native grapes and tradition, but these three producers manage to balance both worlds very successfully.
From the family atmosphere of Vins Toni Gelabert to the more experimental approach of Vins Miquel Gelabert and the historic innovation of Miquel Oliver, each winery showed a different side of Mallorca while still sharing the same Mediterranean identity. And the best part is that all three wineries in Mallorca are located relatively close to each other, making them easy to combine into a one-day wine route during your Mallorca holiday.
If you enjoy wine, taking a day away from the beaches to explore the vineyards around Manacor and Petra is absolutely worth it. Because once you taste these wines where they are actually made, Mallorca starts to feel very different in the glass.
The Author
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