"I make what I like the most, which is Mallorcan wine"
In a new episode of the video series “The Mallorcans”, television journalist Sibylle Tiessen accompanies winemaker and oenologist Francesc Grimalt Oliver at work
Francesc Grimalt Oliver founded the winery 4kilos together with his partner Sergio Caballero in Felanitx. (Video lasts 6 min 39 sec). | Youtube: Majorca Daily Bulletin TV
When Francesc Grimalt Oliver stands among the vines, he is in his element. "This is my 33rd grape harvest. I have always been passionate about viticulture," he explains. From Felanitx, farming has a long tradition in his family.
In August 2006, he founded the 4kilos winery together with his partner Sergio Caballero. As a former oenologist and technical director of the renowned Bodega Anima Negra, Francesc Grimalt brought a lot of expertise and passion with him. The two produced the first bottles of 4Kilos in September 2006 in the garage of a winemaker friend. With the simplest of means, a solid but good drop was created. "At the time, we invested a total of four million pesetas, hence the name 4Kilos. That was the equivalent of just under 20,000 euros. We could only buy the grapes, the barrels and the bottles. The bare essentials to get started."
Francesc Grimalt Oliver was born in Felanitx and has known 33 wine harvests. With his own winery, he has fulfilled a lifelong dream. Photo: Sibylle Tiessen
A year later, the two wine lovers began to convert a former sheep farm into a small winery. "My father had previously given me the land, and so Sergio and I were able to start production." In the meantime, the vineyards have increased to 40 hectares. The winery concentrates largely on indigenous grape varieties. "Our main wines are called 12Volts and 4Kilos," he says. While 4kilos is mainly made from local grape varieties, 12Volts consists mostly of foreign varieties.
The wines of the small bodega are characterised by a Mediterranean style. "We mainly produce light and fresh Mediterranean wines."
One of the local grape varieties is Callet. The red soil "Cal Vermell", which is typical for Mallorca, provides ideal growing conditions. "The special thing about it is that it doesn't give off so much water, but just enough for the Callet."
Connected to nature: Francesc Grimalt and Sergio Caballero manage their vineyards like a forest.
As a cultivator he adheres to a specific principle: "We try to manage the vineyard like a forest. The fact that there are trees in the middle means an increase in biodiversity, strengthening competition among the plants and lower temperatures during the Mallorcan summers."
Overall, environmental protection and sustainability are at the forefront of Francesc Grimalt's mind. "Thanks to our knowledge, we are able to produce without leaving residues in the soil."
Francesc Grimalt and team: Their products are tasted personally.
While Grimalt primarily takes care of the production of the wines, his partner Sergio Caballero is responsible for the marketing. As the latter is a musician, he also gives the wines a certain musical touch. "Sergio doesn't come from the wine world but lives for music. He looks after our image, the labels, the names and takes care of the marketing," says Grimalt. In the process, the barrels in the bodega are labelled with band or artist names, for example Patti Smith, Blur, Oasis, Abba or Moderat.
Francesc is more than happy with this distribution of tasks. "We all have our own areas. We are a good team, that's the most important thing."
For Grimalt, the formula for producing lasting good wine is, above all, to understand the environment. "I believe that the more you adapt to the environment, the better your wines will be." Another aspect is to keep researching how to improve the quality.
Francesc Grimalt Oliver (l) and his partner Sergio Caballero founded the winery 4kilos in 2006. Photo: private
A large part of the production is exported, with only about 20 to 30 percent being sold on the island. Many wines go to Australia, the USA or Finland. Sweden, Denmark, the Czech Republic and Japan and Singapore are also important customers.
Grimalt focuses on quality rather than quantity. "We only sell small quantities and try to create a brand that way." Wine tastings are only offered at the small bodega on request.
Whenever he can, Grimalt goes travelling to find new inspiration. Nevertheless, he always likes to come back to his home island. He loves a certain monotony and a regular routine. "I am privileged because I have a job. I do exactly what I like most, which is wine."
Support from the tourism industry: The video project is sponsored by Europe’s leading tourism group TUI and its TUI Care Foundation. The initiative was founded in 2016 with the aim of supporting sustainable projects in the destinations. In doing so, the foundation focuses on the potential of the tourism sector as a driver for social development, education and prosperity. The Group promotes sustainable tourism in cooperation with local people.
No comments
To be able to write a comment, you have to be registered and logged in
Currently there are no comments.