Mahón City Council presents Vi Menorca Fest

Mahón will celebrate this Saturday, May 2, the Vi Menorca Fest, a new event jointly promoted by the Mahón City Council and the Menorca Wine Producers Association, with the support of the Balearic Government’s Ministry of Agriculture, the Department of Economy of the Menorca Island Council, and the Tourism Promotion Foundation. It is born with the aim of becoming a cultural and wine-gastronomy initiative centered on Menorca’s wine sector, highlighting the quality of its wines as well as expressing a tradition, a landscape, and a profession deeply rooted in Menorca.

From Roman times until its peak in the 18th century, our island has always been a land of wines—and it still is. Currently, the island has 175 hectares of registered vineyards, and the Menorca Producers Association includes twelve wineries that last year produced 2,394 hectolitres under the Protected Geographical Indication IGP Vi de la Terra Illa de Menorca, producing wine from the different authorized varieties. These twelve wineries and all their wines will be the main protagonists of the Vi Menorca Fest, showcasing their uniqueness and strong connection to the territory through different proposals presented in experiential, educational, and festive formats to connect with all audiences.

Three days to connect people, territory, culture, and wine

The Vi Menorca Fest will be structured over three different days, which began yesterday, Thursday, April 30 at 7:00 p.m., with the inaugural conference held in the Auditorium Hall of the Claustro del Carme in Mahón, led by Catalina Bibiloni, one of the most specialized voices in the field of wine culture in the Balearic Islands. With a career linked to education, dissemination, and promotion, Bibiloni will offer an expert perspective on the past and present, but above all on the future of Menorca’s wine sector. The title of her talk will be “Wines That Look to the Sea.”

The highlight of the festival, however, will take place tomorrow, Saturday, May 2, from 12 noon to 11 p.m., with a day in which Plaza España and Plaza del Carme in Mahón will become an open-air venue, where the twelve wineries producing Menorca wine will create a route inviting attendees to explore all their products. In this space, the Vi Menorca Fest will unfold its full potential with various workshops designed for all audiences, including aroma workshops to identify the sensory profiles of wine, as well as blind tastings of island wines to learn their differences and specific characteristics. The workshops will be led by sommelier Marcel Roland and viticulture technician Núria Fullana. For children, there will also be a dedicated area with educational and creative activities related to the world of vineyards, organized by Sa Xaranga, including a storytelling session about the winemaking process and hands-on activities that will help children understand the harvest cycle and wine production while playing. Cucu Jocs will also participate with their wooden games.

Music, art, and gastronomy throughout the day

The Vi Menorca Fest will also offer a diverse and festive musical program throughout Saturday, combining jazz, swing, soul, bossa nova, and more, with proposals for all audiences. The festival will open with the Menorca Hot Swing Trio, composed of Guillem Pons, Pablo Millas, and Icar Toset, who will perform a classic swing repertoire with great jazz standards, designed both for dancing and listening. Complementing the proposal, the Talaiòtic Swing Menorca Association will create a social dance space with live music to introduce Lindy Hop to all audiences in an open and participatory way.

Next, singer Marta Santamaría will present “Have a Drink with Me,” a sentimental journey through tango, bolero, jazz, soul, samba, and copla, inspired by her experiences in Seville, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and California.

After lunch, DJ Bass Vi-Nyl will take over with an exclusive vinyl session featuring classic jazz, soul, and bossa nova tracks, creating a musical pairing experience with the best wines of Menorca. The late afternoon and evening will continue with the Anna Szostak Trio, featuring singer Anna Szostak, double bassist Luis Gener, and pianist Armando Lo Re, offering an intimate and nuanced vocal jazz performance blending swing, bossa nova, bolero, and contemporary pop arrangements into warm and close atmospheres. The music festival will conclude with the show Mamma Mia Sing Along, starring singers Lore Arantzamendi, Adriana Aguilar, Julia Ortinez, and Auba Villalonga, performing ABBA’s greatest hits and inviting the audience to sing along and enjoy.

Art and wine live

Artist Kaori Ishihara will also participate in the Vi Menorca Fest with a unique artistic proposal, creating a live artwork using wine as a material, combining art and territory in a singular experience. Her intervention will take place on Saturday, May 2 in the evening.

Participation of around ten restaurants

On the gastronomic side, throughout the day, the Vi Menorca Fest will involve local restaurants offering proposals designed to complement the experience. Several establishments in the area will prepare agile, high-quality, and easy-to-consume dishes in a street setting, aiming to strengthen the link between wine and Menorcan cuisine.

Open day at Menorca’s wineries

To close the Wine Menorca Fest, on Sunday, May 3, an open day with prior reservation will be offered at several wineries in Menorca, allowing those interested in completing their experience to get closer and establish more personal contact with the producers.

VI MENORCA FEST

Thursday, April 30 at 7:00 p.m.: “Wines That Look to the Sea.” Inaugural conference by Catalina Bibiloni at the Auditorium Hall of the Claustro del Carme in Mahón

Saturday, May 2, from 12:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at Plaza España and Plaza del Carme in Mahón: Wine tasting
Participants: Binifadet, Son Cremat, Torralbenc, Binitord, Morvedra, Hort de Sant Patrici, Alparico, Sa Cudia, Alba Menorca, Sa Forana, Sa Marjaleta, and Santa Catalina

Children’s workshops

12:00–13:00 Storytelling “The Vineyard” and printing workshop
13:00–14:00 Drawing workshop “From Grape to Wine”
16:00–17:00 Storytelling “The Vineyard” and printing workshop
17:00–18:00 Drawing workshop “From Grape to Wine”
17:00–20:00 Wooden games with Cucu Jocs

Adult workshops

12:00–12:30 Workshop “Wine Through the Senses”
13:00–13:45 Blind tasting
16:00–16:30 Workshop “Wine Through the Senses”
17:00–17:45 Blind tasting
18:00–18:30 Workshop “Wine Through the Senses”
19:00–19:45 Blind tasting

Music and art

12:00–13:30 The Swing Shackers
14:00–15:30 Marta Santamaría “Have a Drink with Me”
16:00–19:00 DJ Bass + Art with Kaori Ishihara
19:30–21:00 Anna Szostak Trio
21:30–23:00 Mamma Mia Sing Along

Participating restaurants

Bar Augustin, Mercat Femenias, Es Mirador, Sa Botiga, Amano Menorca, El Trueno, Bar Marcelino, Bar La Barra, Bar Es Claustre, Pastisseria La Mirienda

Sunday, May 3

Open wineries (reservation required): Son Cremat, Binifadet, Binitord, Sa Forana, and Hort de Sant Patrici