“It’s because Ibiza has so much sunshine,” exclaims Juan Bonet, owner of Bodega Sa Cova, when I remark on the strength of the wines he makes. As I understand it, sun equals sugar equals alcohol, and in the somewhat secret valley of Sant Mateu in Ibiza’s north-west, there is plenty of the bright stuff. Not that I’m suggesting that Sa Cova’s wines should be considered merely for their anaesthetic qualities, because they are quite delicious.
Walking holidays in Ibiza
Sa Cova is one of several vineyards in the west of the island, all of them making hand-crafted wines on a relatively small scale. Juan Bonet was the pioneer of the commercialisation of wine-growing on Ibiza about 20 years ago, though he checks himself to admit that the Phoenicians started the process at least a couple of millennia before him.
Sa Cova enjoys a perfect environment for growing grapes, with rich, red earth and sunshine almost every day. Juan is semi-retired and his younger family is taking over, but it is clear he still loves the business he created. “The big growers use machines that hoover up everything,” he explains as we look out over the 22 acres of vineyards. “Here, we hand-pick every grape so we can choose only the best quality.”Ibiza culture and festivals The personal care extends to a refusal to force the filtering process, instead opting to settle the brews as many times as necessary.
We are chatting on the terrace on which tastings are conducted for groups, with nibbles of bread and cheese. We’re briefly interrupted by a Spanish couple dropping in to pick up a few bottles. Other vineyards are also happy to make appointments for visitors. Sa Cova’s market for its reds, whites and rosés are Ibiza’s restaurants and wine shops, with a small number of the 25,000 bottles produced annually going to Germany. “You won’t find us in Tesco,” says Juan with a laugh.
I put his work to the test. The white made from malvasia grapes is full of fresh citrus flavours, sharp but not sour. A red from syrah and monastrell — the island’s grape, as Juan calls it — is rich in berry fruits.
My favourite is the rosé, structured and complex and a fine example of why this previously underrated style is now highly fashionable. I was actually quite pleased that I had the car with me, otherwise I would not have been able to resist taking a little too much advantage of Juan’s hospitality.