First there was fire. And the wind. And an ill-fated spring day on Ibiza, which turned the lives of Peter and Tino Lehner upside down: In the Morna Valley, a beautiful fertile valley in the east of the island, a careless beekeeper mishandled his smoker, causing what is thought to be the worst ever fi re on this Mediterranean pearl. The inferno ravaged over 1,500 hectares of pine forest right down to the coastline in a single day and night. Only the sea put an end to the fury of the flames. “Once a pine forest catches light, the cones fly through the air like grenades,” explains Peter Lehner now, eight years on. “And our finca was right in the middle of it all.”

Peter and his younger brother Tino manage the Sa Tanca des Cotxu winery near Sant Juan de Labritja in the north of the island. Both brothers fell in love with this remote parcel of land over 20 years ago, and transformed it into what is now Ibiza’s highest wine-growing estate at 320 metres above sea level. From the top of their hill, one can see the sun rise up out of the sea in the east and then slowly slide back into it in the west. It is a paradise of peace and solitude, far removed from the thumping noisy parties for which the island is more usually known. But the brothers readily admit that they were initially attracted to Ibiza as teenagers by the grandiose nightclubs and the exciting, laid-back lifestyle: Ibiza was freedom with Mediterranean flair, a magnet for colourful characters from all over the world and a home where they found many friends. “Ibiza is like a drug,” says Tino, “like a virus. Once smitten, you won’t get rid of it for the rest of your life.”

Like a phoenix out of ashes
Peter flew out to the island one week after the fire of 2011, oscillating between foreboding and anxious hope. “There was a foul smell of smoke hanging in the air, the green hills all around me were black as coal, but our finca and the olive groves were intact – thanks to the airborne firefighters.” Arriving at the completely soaked but otherwise undamaged house, Peter surveyed the scene in amazement: The finca was no longer surrounded by forest, it now stood in solitary white splendour amongst old walls and fire-blackened terraces.

The brothers knew in an instant that the historic heritage of Sa Tanca des Cotxu must be brought back to life. They cleared the fields, restored the stone walls and mused on the best way of replanting the newly won land. The poor soils needed nourishment. For two years, much to the delight of the wild rabbit population, they sowed lush cereals as green manure for their future project. Wine lovers who are also passionate about food – the Lehners own the Hotel Alpenclub and associated restaurants in Engelberg – the brothers cultivated their contacts with Globalwine, amajor wine trading business, in the meantime.

The winemaking-consulting team at Globalwine oversees wine-growing projects in a variety of countries and provides experienced oenologists to assist winegrowers. “Together, we decided which grape varieties would produce the best quality grapes for the climate in these latitudes,” explains Peter, “we have no hesitation in claiming that we make an excellent wine, similar to those from the Rhone Valley, which we like and admire very much – the prestigious Châteauneuf-du-Pape, for example.”

Trend towards organic wine-growing on Ibiza
The 5-hectare site is now planted with Arbequina and Picual olive trees as well as some 6,000 vines, one-fifth cabernet and two-fifths each syrah and monastrell. The vineyards are cherished and cared for by a local farmer, vinification is performed in the Sa Cova bodega. There is great support for organic wine-growing on Ibiza, “many people share our desire to give something back to the island and invest in sustainability,” Peter tells us. They use solar energy to generate power and collect water in tanks from the roofs and terraces of the finca. They also pump water from their own well.

After several years of hard work and substantial investment, “Blacknose 2017” is the first wine produced by Sa Roca des Falcó SL, the official name by which all the brothers’ agricultural activities are known. Wine experts acclaim “Blacknose 2017” as “round and balanced, with hints of strawberry jam, Mediterranean spices and white pepper”. The name was chosen in honour of the cute black-nosed sheep of their home, the Lötschen Valley in canton Valais. It may also have something to do with the memory of the catastrophic fire which finally had such a good out-come in the shape of this small but excellent wine-growing business!