Blanca Terra, Montuïri

Many wineries in Mallorca offer space for private events, including dinners, but so far, only one bodega has a restaurant open to the public. The family winery, Blanca Terra, in Montuïri opened its restaurant for the first time in mid-March this year, and as it’s the sole winery restaurant on the island, it had to be tried.

The Blanca Terra winery was founded in 2012 by the Febrer family. Its home is right alongside the Ma15 highway connecting Palma and Manacor, and it has the benefit of a large, free car park.

Entering the Blanca Terra bodega building, the smart-looking restaurant is to the left, where there’s a good choice of well-spaced linen-clad tables. The chef here is Santa Maria-born Jacinto del Valle, who’s previously worked in Formentera, at Gecko Hotel & Beach Club, and Ca na Joana. His Mallorca CV includes MarSenses Hotels and Mediterráneo 1930. He’s known for his use of local, seasonal produce.

The menu is à la carte, offering four starters, two rice dishes, two fish and two meat dishes, and four desserts. Children have a choice of three kid-friendly dishes (10€ each). Each dish has a rather poetic description.

Once our order was placed, the friendly Mallorca maître, Joan, brought us warm, home-made xeixa-wheat bread rolls. Extra virgin olive oil from the nearby Finca Treuer and salt flakes complemented the good crust and crumb of the bread. A complimentary appetizer, looking like a croquette, arrived. Expecting it to be hot, it was a surprise to find that it was intended to be cold, because it contained potato and alioli. I’ve never liked cold potato dishes – despite their resistant starch properties – so, because of personal taste, this wasn’t a big hit with me.

I enjoyed my visually appealing starter of beetroot ‘ravioli’ with goat cheese and pistachios (12€) – three ingredients that always work well together. My companion chose duck ‘sobrasada’ with orange marmalade and segments (15€). Its description in English reads ‘Memories of the traditional slaughter amid laughter and winter sun’ – which probably wouldn’t sound as appealing to British holidaymakers dining here as it would to locals, for whom the annual ‘matanza’ to make sobrasada is a traditional family-and-friends event. Despite that, my companion enjoyed this different interpretation of sobrasada.

We both had meat main courses: Mallorcan black pig cheeks with a juniper sauce (25€) and free-range chicken, stuffed with pork, ‘Jaume I-style’ (21€). Both were tasty but the accompaniments didn’t quite match the menu description. When I asked about this, Joan told me the menu was incorrect. I’m sure this will be amended.

Portions are generous and left us room only to share a dessert: apple cooked in textures with ice cream (7€), an enjoyable conclusion to lunch at the fledgling Restaurante Blanca Terra – an important part of which was the friendly and helpful service.

Not surprisingly, all the wines on offer are Blanca Terra’s own, so this is a good chance to try them if you haven’t before. Available by the glass or bottle, they’re reasonably priced. The soft drinks, beers, and spirits are also all Mallorcan.

Restaurante Blanca Terra is the first winery restaurant in Mallorca and, if it’s successful, perhaps other bodegas will also adopt the concept.

Photos: JAN EDWARDS

Prices correct at time of writing.