»We always kind of knew that we wanted to create something bigger in the future.«

I was born in Virginia in the United States, and the area where I grew up was quite rural. When I was 18, I moved to New York City. I lived there for about six years until I met Walter, who was there on a business trip. After that, I started to visit him in Germany and each visit there got longer and longer (smiles).

Walter comes from Nassau, a village just outside of Frankfurt and his great grandfather had a vineyard. Walter grew up in this atmosphere and tradition but decided to study finance and pursue a career in that industry. But ultimately, the experiences of his childhood apparently planted a seed that grew over time and led him to begin the WSET training (editor’s note: certified wine training).

Walter and I have always been good at creating things together and we always kind of knew that we wanted to create something bigger in the future. We love to talk about style and architecture and when we go to restaurants, we talk about the wine just as much as the interior design. But we just didn’t talk about it, we actually renovated a few homes during the time we lived in Barcelona, for example. When we lived there, we flew to Mallorca for a holiday and were immediately enchanted by the island. We started to taste the local wines, only to realise that they were extraordinarily good.

Yes, it did! As I said, I think the seed was always in Walter’s head and the first trip to Mallorca was like watering that seed, and it started to sprout. Back in Barcelona, after a few glasses of wine, we started brainstorming and came up with the idea for our »Los Dos Caballeros« brand.

Absolutely! We could see ourselves doing it very well and somehow making the transition to country life. We bought this house, which we live in currently, with the idea to plant one hectare of wine and may have a production just for ourselves as a hobby.

After a year, we realized how much work it is to maintain, and we were kind of on the cusp of being able to sell it. So, we decided to plant a few more vine stocks and made a small business out of it. First, we doubled the plantation and then, in the next step, we were able to double it again and decided to jump full in.

One thing or two, yes (smiles). We built the bodega, we built the tasting room, and we have done everything necessary to create a perfect infrastructure at our winery. Right now, we are planning to expand another two and a half hectares into our neighbour’s land, as we have signed a 25-year contract to steward this land.

To be honest, when we started, we had no idea that we would end where we are now. It grew naturally and we just kind of been along for the ride.

Absolutely! We have often said that to each other. If we had known what the bureaucracy would demand of us in terms of patience and work, we might not have embarked on this project. In the end, our ignorance regarding the possible pitfalls at the beginning of our journey was quite beneficial (smiles).

When we first started looking for a property, we didn’t know where it would all lead. At first, I just wanted a place where I could grow vegetables and some flowers. We knew that we needed some nature around the house. But we also do love to renovate, and that house was obviously in need of renovation. So, we bought it with the intention of renovating it and also planting a small vineyard. But it all came quite quickly as we weren’t searching for a long time. We started, we found it, purchased it, and we moved forward.

Fortunately, we have been working with a Mallorcan enologist from the very beginning. He helps us with the science behind the winemaking. But of course, there are always challenges during the growing process, but the bureaucracy was definitely the hardest thing that we had to overcome (smiles). Unfortunately, the failure rate for entrepreneurs in Spain is quite high, so we are quite happy that we made it.

We’ve got Sauvignon Blanc, we’ve got Grenache and Merlot … and we have Manto Negro, which is a local variety. In the new property we have just leased, we’re going to extend some of the varieties I just named and we’re also going to plant Callet, which is another grape from the Balearic Islands.

The Sauvignon Blanc was the first to produce grapes in the very first year, but we only used them as fertilizer, of course. In the second year, we produced Sauvignon Blanc for the first time and after that, we started producing Grenache Rosé.

We have »Estepa Blanca« in an oaked and an unoaked edition which is a cooperation that we did with a vineyard close by and which is also organic and has the same quality standards as we do. This is made with Chardonnay and Viognier. We created the brand and we formulated this wine, but once it’s gone, it’s gone.

Our red wine is under the Los Dos Caballeros brand which is made with Merlot and Grenache and then we have our rosé which is 100% Grenache.  And then usually we have the Sauvignon Blanc as well, but it’s already sold out for this year.

We will be bottling a new red wine, which is 100% Merlot and was made in an Italian wine making style called »appassimento«, quite full bodied. We will also add an additional young Merlot and then of course, everyone’s favourite is the red wine made from the Grenache grapes, which is called »Grumpy« and lovingly named after Walter (smiles).

We are a part of a cooperative called »Vi de la Terra de Mallorca«. It is the most modern organization, doing really great work in reaching a younger audience and trying to bring people into the wine world of Mallorca. We are quite proud to be part of it!

The idea behind it is to give people a better understanding of our wine and what really makes it special. We offer the option of leasing several vines, with a minimum of six plants and a maximum of a whole row. There are different levels with different quantities of wines that you can select.

The highest level includes a private label that will put on the bottle, and we number the bottles for you and put your family name or whatever name you choose on it. One of the highlights is that you can come by and harvest your own plants. This makes you part of the whole process and a great story when you taste the wine with your friends at home. It’s a perfect gift for a wedding or a birthday as well, by the way.

Fortunately, the love of interior design and creating stylish spaces has not been lost on the vineyard. So, the Chalet was a wonderful opportunity for us, to be creative on another level. It comes with a private terrace and a pool, two bedrooms and space for up to six people. We are very happy that the offer has been so well received, because being a host can be really rewarding.

It is our aim to attract as many people as possible to visit us on site. That’s why are open almost all year round, except for January and February. We do private tastings four times a day and we host »farm-to-table« tastings, where we use local vegetables from our production and from other Mallorcan farms to offer a well-rounded sensory experience in combination with our wines. From time to time, we even host outdoor film evenings at our vineyard, so there’s no excuse not to come and see us (smiles).

It’s got to be the sunshine, I guess. Moving from New York to Mallorca comes with a completely different pace and lifestyle. In New York, I couldn’t put my plants right outside my kitchen door like I do now. Even in the wintertime, it’s sunny on Mallorca and it’s a peaceful rhythm of life. We both really enjoy this privilege every single day.