Ibiza

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The soil is formed from limestone, dolomite, and marl; it is predominantly clayey, of a reddish-brown type with a calcic hardpan horizon.
• The vineyards are established on clay-loam soils with an alkaline pH averaging 8.8, a high carbonate content (mean value 45.3%), and high active limestone content (mean value 8.7%), while organic matter content is generally low, close to 1%.
• Rainfall is scarce and concentrated in autumn, with a mean annual precipitation of 400 mm, a marked summer minimum of 3–6 mm in July, and a principal autumn maximum of 60–80 mm in October.
• Solar exposure averages 2,732 sunshine hours per year, reaching its peak between June and August, which favours the accumulation of polyphenols and sugars in the grapes.
• The island has a dry subtropical Mediterranean climate, with a mean annual temperature of 17.9 °C, a median maximum of 21.9 °C, and a median minimum of 14 °C, with a low annual thermal range moderated by the sea.
• The zone has no permanent watercourses, so groundwater constitutes the principal natural water resource available to the vines.
• The severe erosion the island endures means that bare-rock outcrops are abundant, and soil salinity shows mean conductivity values of 0.16 dS/m, which are not restrictive for water and nutrient uptake.

• Winemaking activity began in Ibiza in the seventh century BC, a period from which Phoenician cups and amphorae used to store wine have been found.
• Ibiza's winemakers limit yields to 70 litres of wine per 100 kg of harvested fruit, which makes the wines particularly delicate and well-balanced.
• Harvest is carried out by hand in several passes, with the winegrowers' knowledge being essential for determining the optimum moment of picking.

• Pronounced fruit aromas, depth of colour, and balance are the sensory characteristics that define the character of Ibiza wines, owing principally to the geographical environment.
• As regards the composition of wines bearing the protected geographical indication Ibiza, their high alcoholic strength and low residual sugar content are particularly notable.

• High sunshine levels, elevated temperatures, and scarce available water accelerate grape ripening and result in low yields with small berries, contributing polyphenols and sugars that give wines of great depth of colour and alcoholic richness.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the specification (pliego de condiciones).

All appellations in Spain

Sources

• National pliego de condiciones (PDF)
• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PGI-ES-A0110
• Official trade body site — IQUA — Vi de la Terra Eivissa