Adolf Sintes: “There is great potential for olive oil production in Menorca”

Adolf Sintes, a researcher and olive oil enthusiast, is the author of the only book published on this subject in Menorca. Trulls i tafones. La producció d’oli a Menorca offers a historical overview of all the evidence of olive oil production on the island. Through this journey in time, he helps us understand the roots of today’s olive mills.

Since when has olive oil been produced in Menorca?
The earliest olive mill for which we have historical evidence is located beneath the Town Hall of Alaior. A reproduction of the old press remains, believed to date back to around the 2nd century BC, coinciding with the Roman conquest of Menorca. At that time, the island lay on the olive oil trade route from Baetica to Rome. Evidence of this can be found in shipwrecks along our coast carrying large quantities of oil amphorae. However, the first documented olive oil produced on the island was made in Alaior.

Has olive oil always been produced on the island?
There have been different periods. During the Arab era, oil was produced at Torre d’en Galmés and in Rafalet, where the Cova de s’Oli is located. After the Catalan-Aragonese conquest, production declined sharply due to the imposition of a very high tithe, which discouraged production. From then on, oil was produced almost continuously until the 1930s.

There is little written documentation about olive oil, but many physical remains testify to centuries of production in Menorca. One such source is Die Balearen, in which the Archduke notes that the area with the highest oil production was Alcaufar. Remains of the olive mill can still be found there, at Alcaufar de Sa Cala, where my father-in-law, Pere Pons Carreras, grew up.

He was the one who revealed to me that olive oil was produced in Menorca. As mentioned earlier, by the 1930s production ceased in places such as Torre Saura in Ciutadella and in Alcaufar. Before the war, around 1931 or 1932, the owner, Mr Mercadal, died and the olive trees were uprooted. During the war, the remaining trees in Ciutadella were also removed, either for firewood or other uses. As a result, Menorca went about seventy years without producing olive oil.

A long period that has only recently been reversed.
Around the year 2000, Biel Barceló set up the first olive mill to restart production. Olive trees had already been planted in places such as Pont Modorro, and gradually more were planted elsewhere. Barceló’s mill was established at Son Àngel, where a truncated conical millstone from an old olive mill remains, indicating earlier production. Initially, this revival was more a hobby than an attempt to restore a productive sector. As a result, olive mills and plantations appeared in agrotourism establishments, as a complementary activity or as part of a broader hospitality business. However, some people also planted olive trees without having a hotel.

Olive oil is now a growing product, but what was production like before the interruption?
The Archduke provided an important insight that was instrumental in obtaining the Protected Geographical Indication, granted earlier this year. He stated that Menorca produced oil of equal or even higher quality than Mallorca. Records indicate around 1,500 olive trees before the major decline. Today, that number has been greatly surpassed. Nevertheless, Menorca has traditionally been more focused on livestock than agriculture, and local oil production was insufficient, making imports necessary. A clear example is that oil was imported from Mallorca while livestock was exported for meat.

What is production like today?
It is difficult to quantify. Last year, for example, was very poor. Olive oil production is highly variable and influenced by many factors, such as temperature. What we do know is that there are currently six olive mills and around fifty producers, both large and small.

Does the olive oil sector have a future?
There is great potential for olive oil production in Menorca. It is an excellent way to diversify the economy and agricultural output. Cheese is the flagship product, but more and more elements are being considered. We cannot rely on a single product.

Where should the sector be heading, considering pricing?
Although more olive trees are being planted, we must be realistic about the limited land available in Menorca. Competing on price with other oils makes little sense. However, by building a strong sector based on small, carefully managed productions, certified under the PGI label —which also requires organic certification— we can produce an outstanding product. The next step is to recover local olive varieties, which yield oils of exceptional flavour and quality.