Fine Wines and Family Vines

Pilar OliverAt the tender age of four, knowing the difference between red and white is something we all learn at school. When speaking of the fermented kind, it usually takes us a few more years, but little Jaume from Petra already knows what he is talking about. Even though his glass is only filled with water, he can swirl it around, take a sniff and say “mmmm”, because he is the son of Pilar Oliver, a pioneer in the world of viniculturalists and owner of the family-run wineries ‘Miquel Oliver Bodegas’.

From the heart of Petra village, famed for being the birth place of Fray Junípero Serra, the Oliver family has been dedicated to producing fine wines for almost 100 years. Now managed by Pilar and her husband, the company named after her father, was originally founded by her great grandfather in 1912.

Miquel Oliver was one of the first wineries in Mallorca to accept new technological advances such as cooling equipment, allowing better control over wine fermentation. Although Pilar agrees that tradition is important, she has no hesitation in trying new methods and became the first in Spain to produce a dry Muscatel wine, voted the number one Spanish white wine by the ‘Association of Spanish Sommeliers’.

Apart from researching, marketing and finding new ways of understanding wines, Pilar and her family oversee the grape picking which is a tiresome 2-month process, as once picked, the grapes have to find their way to Manacor for pressing the same day. They currently have 10 bottles in their wine repertoire, all of which are unique. From their award-winning dry muscatel called “Muscat”, to a full bodied, full flavoured Merlot named “Aix”, not forgetting the classic Mediterranean style “Mont Ferrutx”, which they have been producing for 40 years.

The Miquel Oliver Cellar is open to the public all year round from Monday to Friday, where you can meet Pilar and taste and purchase their latest creation. Bringing your own chauffeur is highly recommended!