A PLACE TO FALL IN LOVE WITH
Finca Biniagual
The Finca Biniagual, a tranquil hamlet form the time of the moors, has committed itself to traditional majorcan viticulture. In the heart of the wine-growing region Binissalem on the Island of Mallorca, our sustainable family run business is passionately devoted to the production of fine majorcan wines.
Consisting of 14 houses, a chapel, a historic winery and a Vinoteca, the estate perfectly fits into the idyllic majorcan landscape.
The heart of the estate is the Bodega Biniaguel, the winery, which looks back on centuries of traditional wine growing. Varios generations of Finca Biniagual’s residents cultivated and produced wine. But at the beginning of the 20th century, Biniagual fell victim to the phylloxera. It destroyed all vineyards on Majorca and put a stop to the viticulture at Biniagual. Around one hundred years later, at the beginning of the new century, the viticulture was picked back up again. Shortly afterwards, Biniagual started again with the production of their own wines.
History of Biniagual
If they could talk, the storied walls of the now idyllic village would have a lot to tell. At the time of the moors, the so called “alquería”, which means farm, lived from cultivating field crop. After King Jaume I conquered the island in the course of the Christian Reconquista, the estates on Mallorca got redistributed. Biniagual now belonged to the Vicomtes Bearn. 1264 they then gave the farm to the Jonqueres monastery in Catalonia. The Catalonians replaced the Islamic cultivation system of the moors. By cultivating olives, wine and grain, they continued the agriculture of roman times. Until the end of the 16th century Biniagual grew by six houses and became a hamlet. Mid 17th century though it got depopulated by the plague.
A NEW BEGINNING AT BINIAGUAL
The village experienced its height at the beginning of the 18th century. During that time the residents cultivated vines and olives and were breeding sheep and pigs. At the beginning of the 19h century the olive groves gradually gave away to become wine fields. Lastly Biniagual cultivated wine as a monoculture. Because of its advantageous location at the road junction of the Camí de Muro and the central location between Binissalem and Sencelles, Biniagual was an important nodal point to the route system. A lot of travelers came to the hamlet for a rest. At the end of the 19th century the Guardia Civil even set up quarters in Biniagual. Although it was given up later, the former building, the Casa Cuartel, still stands in the middle of the village today. The little chapel was consecrated in 1734.
Buoyed by economic prosperity and the general growth of the population, Biniagual grew. 12 houses got build between 1840 and 1850 and already existing ones expanded or rebuilt. Then the tides turned for Biniagual at the beginning of the 20th century, when the vine fretter, which already made farmers on the European mainland lose their livelihoods, finally reached Mallorca. It destroyed the vines and put a stop to wine growing. At first the residents reoriented their agriculture towards the cultivation of almonds and figs as well as sheep and pig farming. But after a while they gradually had to give up on this unprofitable farming. Mid century the village was abandoned and in ruins. 1968 the Finca was bought by the owners today with the promise to revive the wine growing and to preserve a piece of mallorcan cultural heritage that way. In the following decades the village got restored and new vines were planted. Today over 34 hectares are cultivated with vines and wine gets produced again.
BUILT OUT OF RUINS
In 1968, the Finca was bought by today’s owners with the promise to revive the wine growing and thus preserve a piece of majorcan cultural heritage. In the following decades, the village got restored and new vines were planted. Today, there are more than 34 hectares of vines, and Finca Biniagual has resumed the production of its own wines.
INMERSE YOURSELF INTO FARMLIFE AT FINCA BINIAGUAL
AGRICULTURE AT BINIAGUAL
