Swiss brothers make wine in Ibiza

Tino (right) and Peter Lehner, two Swiss brothers, in the middle of their vineyards in the north of Ibiza. Ana Lui Photography

Blacknose: that is the name of Peter and Tino Lehner's wine project on the glamorous party island of Ibiza. How did these Swiss brothers come to make wine in Ibiza?

Dancing people and booming basses are part of Ibiza’s partying trademark. However, the party vibrations are not felt in the north of the Spanish island. Instead the large crowds and loud music make way for dense pine forests and the sound of chirping birds.

Here, brothers Tino (59) and Peter Lehner (62) own a small finca, or a piece of agricultural land with a farmhouse. They have been pressing their own wine since 2017. “Ibiza was the first trip abroad for my wife and I in 1986, but at that time we primarily wanted to party,” Lehner tells Blick. He liked the island so much that he kept returning.

Devastating forest fires presented an opportunity

“A few years later, my brother Tino bought some land in the north of Ibiza, which now belongs to both of us. On it is a whitewashed house typical of the region; the perfect place for a relaxing holiday.” In 2011, however, the brothers suffered a blow when a fire destroyed a third of the entire forest nearby, including the pine forest on their own finca.

“Everything around the house was black and charred, it was very sad to see. While walking around the property, we suddenly discovered several terraces supported by stone walls. It took a lot of work, but we cleaned them and were able to restore all the walls,” Lehner reports proudly. But then the big question arose: what to do with all the terraced land?

Aerial view of the Lehner brothers’ vineyards. Peter Lehner

A soil analysis showed that the land would be perfect for grapevines. A stroke of luck, because the Lehner brothers are die-hard wine fans: “As Valaisans, we have a natural weakness for fine wine from the Rhône Valley, for example from the Valais or from the French wine region of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.”

Inspired by the Valais black-nosed sheep

A short time later, the Lehners planted their first vines. “We started with Syrah and Mourvèdre, but have since added Cabernet Sauvignon and the white grape variety Giro Ros to our stock.” Grenache Noir was only recently released by the local authorities, which is why this Rhône grape variety may also soon be planted on the Lehner brothers’ land.

With the name Blacknose, the Lehners have named their Ibiza wine after the popular black-nosed sheep from the Valais. Only a few thousand bottles of the full-bodied and polished red wine are bottled each year. The vintages 2018, 2019 and 2020 are full bodied with ripe fruit extract, piquant spice, smooth tannins and a lot of freshness, which the brothers say is extremely important for wines with 15 percent alcohol.

The bothers wine is named after the famous black-nosed sheep of the Valais. zVg

Currently, 2.5 hectares are planted with vines, with another hectare planted with olive trees. “Our vineyard is 320 metres above sea level, making it one of the highest on the island.” The altitude brings cool temperatures at night, which has a positive effect on the preservation of the tartaric acid in the grapes, among other things.

Today, the wine of the Lehner brothers is on the wine list in some restaurants and hotels on the island. “We also export a small amount to Germany and England and of course to our home country Switzerland, where our family owns the Hotel Alpenclub in Engelberg. Visitors can find our Blacknose bottles on the wine list there.”

This article was originally published on Blick.chExternal link.