The wine fair was not at its usual venue. | Elena Ballestero

TW
0

It is one of Mallorca's most popular events and one for which there is eager anticipation every year, but the Pollensa Wine Fair succumbed to the pandemic in the same way as did all other events.

The eighteenth edition was due to have been held in April last year. There had been the pre-event presentation of the poster and announcement of participating bodegas. That was just before the state of alarm was declared. It was rescheduled for the autumn and then for spring this year. The restrictions meant that it couldn't take place. Finally, the eighteenth staging of the year has been this weekend.

Covid demands required more space and different arrangements for the participants - 35 in all. Instead of the usual venue of the Sant Domingo Cloister, the fair was moved to a car park - Can Conill.

Eva García was one of the many who went to the fair on Saturday. She and a group of friends always go. She said that the alternative venue was "not as charming" as the Cloister, but that it was good that the fair could be held in a larger space and with capacity control. "They have sacrificed charm by prioritising the health of visitors and that must be applauded, as it also gives a breath of fresh air to the cellers after the pandemic."

As well as members of the wine-loving public like Eva, the fair is for the professionals and for the islands' hospitality industry. Local wines promoted at the fair end up on hotel and restaurant menus in the Balearics, while there is also interest from overseas. Germany, in particular, has become an important export market for Mallorca's wines.