People often tend to misunderstand how quality recognition through Protected Designations of Origin (PDO) works. Many people think that a product has quality because it has managed to be recognized with this type of seal when, in reality, it is the other way around.
PDOs, as well as Protected Geographical Indications and other seals with this marked “territoriality,” are obtained to identify those producers and territories that have been working for the quality of a given product.
These producers, in their respective territories, maintain quality standards of their productions over time thanks to their extensive knowledge of their climate, soil, orography, and landscape, and the adaptation of production to these conditions. The Protected Designation of Origin is a recognition of this continuous effort and dedication, which achieves a human-natural symbiosis, a sustainable production that brings life to authentic gastronomic gems.
We can affirm that all Protected Designations of Origin are, at least indirectly, a recognition of the landscape of a territory, of how people adapt their work to the land they have to work with.
This affirmation leads us to the next question, the reason for this publication: What makes the PDO Pla i Llevant unique, the Protected Designation of Origin that recognizes the wine production in the regions on both sides of the Sierra de Llevant and gives the seal its name?
Perhaps it is the regulatory effect of the Embat, the Balearic sea breeze that moves inland during the hottest hours of the day, lowering the temperature and humidifying the region’s fields. Or maybe it is the salt that, trapped in the Embat, the vineyards manage to metabolize, giving them unique characteristics.
It is likely that the region’s relief has something to do with it, as it has much to say in this close relationship with the Mediterranean.
Or it could also be the inseparable Mediterranean character of the Balearic Islands, and that rainfall regime that allows the grapes grown in Es Pla i Llevant to ripen in the sun, giving local producers the opportunity to distinguish up to six native grape varieties: Callet; Gorgollosa; Mantonegro; Fogoneu; Giró Ros or Premsal blanc… grapes that allow the vinification of wines where balance and aromas prevail.
In short, a variety of factors make the Balearic Islands and the fruits of their land unique, which well deserve a special way of being enjoyed, something offered by the Local Tourist Experiences Guide published by the Mancomunitat Pla de Mallorca. A compilation of up to twenty-four unique experiences in the region, among which the proposals for enjoying the local wines beyond the wines themselves stand out, understanding the quality of their climate, their landscape, their land… and what makes the Protected Designation of Origin Pla i Llevant unique.
