This June, we are launching guided tours of the estate to showcase our olive plantation on Wednesday afternoons. The agricultural part of Sant Joan de Binissaida is what gives meaning to the rest of the project, as we return to the roots of Menorca, the land, and what defines us. Would you like to learn more?
The Origin of the Oil
Driving along the road to Sant Joan de Binissaida towards the agritourism, you will get an idea of the importance that olive trees represent on the estate. On both sides of the road, rows of new trees rise towards the Mediterranean sun, waiting to mature enough to bear fruit. In total, about 1,500 have been planted since the Sant Joan de Binissaida project began. In fact, some of them were already on the estate when the Quintana Seguí family acquired it in 1994. The olive oil tradition, although not widespread in Menorca, has been present since the 2nd century BC. From that era is the olive mill discovered in the municipality of Alaior, a vestige of a time that has extended to the present day.
It is this tradition, this root, that inspired the family to promote the estate’s agricultural project, represented by the olive plantation. But it is much broader in concept. This is where regenerative agriculture comes into play.A New Agriculture to Maintain the Tradition
Regenerative agriculture is a set of organic agricultural and grazing practices that reverses climate change by regenerating soil organic matter and restoring degraded soil biodiversity, which translates into increased carbon dioxide capture and improved water cycle. Among other benefits, it enhances ecosystem services, increases resilience to climate change, and strengthens the health and vitality of agricultural lands.
With the help of GOB and thanks to its Agricultural Custody program, the Sant Joan de Binissaida estate carries out these practices, supervised by an agricultural company, to maintain, improve, and increase the potential of the land.The Tour
Bea, our expert in the agricultural project, will tell you about regenerative agriculture, how the olive harvest is done, how the olive mill works, and the correct way to do an oil tasting.She will guide you as a group throughout the tour, during which you can discover not only the agricultural recovery but also the ethnological and architectural recovery of Sant Joan de Binissaida. The stop at the olive mill is particularly interesting to learn about the process of making our organic oil, which we harvest every autumn. Finally, you will be able to taste our liquid gold in a tasting specially designed to help you detect the organoleptic characteristics that make an exceptional oil.
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