Images by Robin Goldsmith © 2021 The Write Taste, unless otherwise stated
When you think of the Canary Islands, wine is probably not the first vision that comes to mind. Yet, for anyone interested in wines of volcanic origin, then this sun-kissed archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean offers something truly unique.
Around 1% of the world's land mass is volcanic and, significantly, much of it is planted with vines. This is due to the poor soils and extreme conditions which are suitable for viticulture. These volcanic wines are in fashion now. Expressive of their terroir, they tend not to need heavy oak or manipulation in the winery. They are distinctive and interesting, often dry with a savoury character and bright acidity. Quite simply, they are different from wines made anywhere else.
The eight main islands of the Canaries (La Graciosa, just north of Lanzarote, was recently included) lie at the same latitude as the Sahara Desert, about 100km from Africa and around 1000km from the Spanish mainland. Being just above the Tropic of Cancer, they are located outside the normal limits of viticulture of between 30-50 degrees of latitude.
"By my faith you have drunk too much Canary wine, a wonderful and penetrating wine that perfumes blood before it can say: what is this?" (Mistress Quickly to Doll Tearsheet, Henry IV: Part Two, Act II, Scene IV).
Wine has been made in the Canaries since the 15th century, when the Europeans conquered the islands, overthrowing the indigenous Guanches. For many years after, British merchant and Royal Navy ships carried Canary wine to mainland Europe, the Americas, Asia and Australia. Such was the importance of this trade that millions of litres of Sack or Malmsey, as it was called, made from Malvasía grapes, were exported to the UK each year during the 16th and 17th centuries and enjoyed by royalty, aristocrats and writers, including Shakespeare.
Desire for French and Portuguese wines began to grow in the 18th century, eclipsing the popularity of Malmsey. Enterprising wine traders in Tenerife responded by creating 'False Madeiras', blending aguardiente from Lanzarote with cheap red wine from mainland Spain. However, global demand for these heavy, sweet fortified wines from the Canaries eventually fell and much of the islands' wine industry collapsed, although a few bodegas did survive.
Fast forward to the 21st century and, along with other islands and areas of volcanic soils, like Santorini and Cyprus, the Canaries have emerged as one of the most interesting and exciting wine regions with some of Europe's oldest vines. According to the Gobierno de Canarias, around 5.8 million litres of wine (51% red and 49% white), were produced in the archipelago in 2020.
Canarian wines are made from grape varieties that share some genomic features with those found in the Iberian Peninsula and the eastern Mediterranean. Apart from Syrah and some other recently planted French varieties, the Canary Islands' grapes have adapted over time to the local environment, evolving, crossing and mutating naturally, resulting in new varieties and expressions. Also, because of the volcanic soils, the islands have always remained phylloxera-free. With interest growing in more unusual wines and distinctive grape varieties, particularly those that deliver fresh, mineral and savoury characteristics, the wines of these islands offer something new and relevant for a modern audience.
The unique history, vineyards and grape growing methods used here are different from anywhere else on earth and none more so than those found on Lanzarote.
The furthest north-east of the major Canary Islands, Lanzarote is the fourth largest at just over 900km². It's the second oldest of the archipelago (Fuerteventura is the oldest), dating back to around 15 million years ago and is thought to owe its name to a Genoese Sailor, Lancellotto Malocello, who arrived there in the 14th century. Lanzarote later became the first of the islands to be fully colonised by European raiders. In those days, the arid and windy conditions meant all wine had to be imported, originally from Spain, but afterwards from the other islands where conditions were more favourable to grape-growing. Lanzarote was, in fact, the last of the Canary Islands to be planted with vines, brought from Europe.
In 1730, volcanic eruptions, in what is now called the Parque Nacional de Timanfaya (Timanfaya National Park), lasted for six years, destroying the central plains of Lanzarote. These previously produced the main crops of the island and became covered with lava and picón or rofe (lapilli in English, meaning volcanic ash and rock fragments). The picón soil of the Parque Nacional de Timanfaya extends to around 200km², roughly one third of the island.
Image credit: Víctor Rafael Díaz Figueroa
Despite the devastation caused by the eruptions, the volcanic debris was found to be rich in nutrients, had good thermoregulatory properties and, importantly, excellent water absorption, so could hold the island's scarce moisture. So, even before volcanic activity had died down, the islanders devised an ingenious method of viticulture in these otherwise harsh conditions, digging pits and building stone walls to protect the vines from the winds. Initially vines were planted for religious celebrations, then domestic consumption and later for export.
For years afterwards, many vineyards were planted on Lanzarote, principally for production of aguardiente. Initially supplying Tenerife, eventually wines and spirits were exported to America too. Among the wineries built, El Grifo, founded in 1775, exists today and is the oldest and best known bodega still in operation in the Canary Islands.
Veraison (the stage in the ripening process when the grape berries change colour) occurs from June onwards, depending on the variety. Lanzarote's grape harvest is then the first in Europe, typically starting mid-July and running through to the beginning of September for sweeter wines. Vega de Yuco released the first 2021 wine in the northern hemisphere around mid-September last year.
Lanzarote needs the picón for its vines and many other plants to survive, including here at La Villa de Teguise.
Compared to the other islands, Lanzarote is much flatter with an average altitude under 400m (the highest point is 670m above sea level). The dry, well-drained macronutrient-rich, slightly alkaline subsoils are mostly reddish clay with low organic content. Just ten metres below the surface, temperatures can still apparently reach 600°C, so plants have mostly been unable to thrive here. Importantly, the picón, naturally present in many of the vineyards, prevents the growth of weeds and is also spread artificially where needed.
Moist Atlantic trade winds (alisios) blow in from the north-east and are most powerful in summer. Together with sea breezes and the lack of geographical barriers to impede the force of the winds, the subtropical, semi-arid climate remains relatively mild. During the year, the average temperature is typically 18°C to 24°C. Humidity is normally high.
Highest temperatures in the summer are normally in the 30s, while in the winter they can drop down to 6°C or 7°C. Occasionally the calima, a hot, dry wind blows over from the Sahara, causing the temperature to rise up to around 40°C and reducing the humidity starkly. A sandstorm often then occurs, sometimes bringing locusts, drought and heat damage which can harm the vines. However, most calimas normally occur in winter when the vines are dormant.
Diurnal variations can reach up to 17°C, retaining moisture from morning dew to give back to the vines during the daytime heat. Deeper, older vine root systems maintain a near-constant temperature that helps the plants manage temperature variations above ground.
On Lanzarote, there's no natural running water, i.e. no lakes, rivers or streams. So, particularly in the countryside, people have used whatever they can to collect the scarce rainwater. This is why houses with square rooves are so common on the island.
It rarely rains (150ml per year on average), as fewer rain-generating clouds are formed due to the lack of high ground, in contrast to Tenerife, Gran Canaria and La Palma, for example. However, when it does, it's often very heavy! Generally the last few years have seen very little rainfall, so farmers are already battling the elements.
There can be marked differences in grape yield each year, impacted by winter weather conditions, the lack of rain, or conversely, heavy rain in the months preceding harvest such as in May 2021. A record yield in 2018 resulted in nearly 4 million kg. The following years were around 2.8 million kg, then 1.5 million kg and, in 2021, back up to 2 million kg. Quality has been high throughout due to good sunshine levels.
Vineyards are almost exclusively free of irrigation. Water availability for viticulture is saved due to the moisture-retaining properties of the volcanic debris laid down during the eruptions of 1730-1736. Herbicides and pesticides are used sparingly on the island. Powdery mildew is a risk, however, due to the humidity, so sulphur sprays are often helpful. Botrytis sometimes occurs too, but not enough for sweet wine production (passerillage method used instead).
Away from La Geria, the layer of picón is not as deep and often has to be brought in and spread by hand.
One of the hoyos at El Tablero Vineyard, with vines supported by wooden trellising
In a terrain covered with volcanic ash and lava, it is mainly in La Geria that the island's unique method of viticulture can be seen in all its glory. Vines are planted in the centre of crater-like pits called hoyos, dug deep into the soil, past the thick layers of picón and solidified volcanic lava resulting from erosion of the mountains brought by wind. These hollows, containing between one and three vines each spaced 3-4m apart, are around 3m deep and 3m wide. They allow the vine roots access to just enough nutrients and water in the subsoil to survive. The closer vines are to the volcano, the deeper the roots go, as there are more sediments from the eruptions on the soil surface.
Small gaps in a soco
Each hoyo is surrounded by a 60-70cm high semi-circular lava-stone wall called a soco. These shield the grapes from the trade winds and protect the vines from heat stress/leaf burn. They also trap humidity and condensation in the morning, so water becomes absorbed by the soil. These handmade, dry stone walls have gaps which lower resistance to the wind and so stop them collapsing. Another advantage is that humidity from the wind lies on the leaves, providing the vines with enough water even in a dry season.
Water-loving Moscatel vines are often planted in chabocos, naturally occurring volcanic fissures or gullies in the lava, where moisture from rainfall collects and soil is still accessible at the bottom. Chabocos, which can be over 3m deep, also shelter the vines from wind. They account for a minute percentage of production as not many exist in vineyards today.
Zanjas perimetrales: image credit 'Monso Perez'
In addition to the hoyos and chabocos, zanjas (rows of vines dug in trenches, protected by long stone walls) and zanjas perimetrales (rows and walls around the edge of a vineyard with a gap in the middle to plant other crops) are also used. In these cases, planting density is often greater, with vines spaced around 1.5m apart in rows, leading to higher, although still low yields. This is the method favoured in Tinajo.
These unique vineyard systems of hoyos, chabocos and zanjas with layers of picón mean that they are hard to manage. Needless to say, harvesting of the grapes and care of the vineyards are carried out, almost exclusively, by hand.
More than 300 farmers on the island supply grapes to the wineries, with strong relationships and individual contracts between them built over many years. Some wineries do make 100% estate wines from time to time, but most blend from different sources. Vineyards are so low yielding and many farmers may have only harvested one or two hectares, that there are generally not enough grapes to produce separate estate wines.
Grapes are hand-harvested and placed in 20kg baskets, a D.O. rule, to prevent crushing and premature fermentation kicking in. It's now commonplace to refrigerate grapes overnight to lower their temperature down to 3°C or 4°C. This minimises loss of aromatics and flavour to evaporation when the grapes are pressed the following day. In bumper years, grape must is sometimes held back from one year to the next and stored in tanks at 0°C. Then when it's needed to make wine, the must is warmed to the desired fermentation temperature. White wines do not undergo malolactic conversion.
More than 90% of the wine produced in Lanzarote is consumed within the Canary Islands. While under 10% is currently exported around the world, this looks set to grow if global interest in wines from volcanic regions increases.
Because of the unique weather conditions and inspired viticultural methods, unlike other comparable hot regions of the world, D.O. Lanzarote wines retain excellent, balanced acidity. Consequently, Lanzarote's young, dry, crisp and fresh wines are often the most popular expressions on the island.
Climate change is a serious concern, as Lanzarote's low-altitude, low-yielding vineyards are much more at risk, if temperatures rise, than the mountainous western Canary Islands.
Pruning of vines in Lanzarote is carried out between December and January/February, depending on the variety. However, at El Grifo, they are pruning later in order to extend the growing season and preserve the distinctive balance of acidity, alcohol and sugar levels in the wines.
"The alisios help to bring the acidity of a northern European wine to a tropical island."
Luca Torreli, Visitor Centre Manager at El Grifo and qualified sommelier, sees further changes. "Lanzarote is becoming like a tropical island, like Haiti or Hawaii - volcanic with vegetation. The last two or three winters, there's been a growth in vegetation, compared to previous years. This is the greenest Lanzarote I've seen! The volcano killed plant life in the 18th century, so we can't have the same amount of vegetation as La Gomera, for example, at a similar latitude. However, it's raining more in winter time now and the soil is getting increasingly fertile, so it must have gained additional nutrients. There's even more grass in the gardens. I'm sure in the next 50 years, there'll be a big change in Lanzarote."
In the last four or five years, the number of wineries in the D.O. has grown from 14 to 21. Younger winemakers are coming into the space and looking to do things differently now, including using traditional presses, amphorae, other grape varieties potentially and harvesting at different times. At some of the smaller vineyards, the winemaker has been in the family for many years. In contrast, the head winemakers of many of the big wineries is both young and local, although the owners tend to be older locals.
However, Luca urges a note of caution. "There's a future problem", he says, "because of a lack of young people who want to work in the fields. This worries me, as people still think working in the vineyards is not well paid or has a bad reputation. Now, many Canarian families are sending their children to study in Tenerife or Gran Canaria."
Luca is not alone in his views, as the previous day he'd taken part in an annual meeting on the Canary Islands' agriculture and wine tourism, where these issues were discussed. "We need to take steps together to keep people working on the land", he adds, suggesting that wine training should be included at university level on the islands. Rather than relying on tourism (around 60% of Lanzarote's economy and 10-15% of Spain's before the COVID-19 pandemic), the wine industry is an area that has clear growth potential, but will need to retain enough local interest and involvement to prosper.
Despite these worries about the future, Luca remain optimistic that Lanzarote can act as a beacon for the rest of the Canary Islands' wine industries to follow. "We can't think that we'll sell everything on export. It's not just exporting wines that gives value to a place. Our strategy in the last year has been to keep a low percentage for export - only 3-5% of our income - so that our wines don't end up on supermarket shelves. Wine tourism represents approximately 35% of our income. Lanzarote is an example of how wine tourism must work in the Canaries. The other islands should learn from us. We get 400-500 people per day in our Visitor Centre. That's 150,000 visitors a year at El Grifo. They can spread the word and our brand name around the world."
Ollie Horton
One man doing his bit to 'spread the word' is Ollie Horton, owner and founder of Wine Shop Lanzarote and Wine Tours Lanzarote. Hailing from Guernsey, the lure of the surf brought him to the island. However, after his local wine epiphany, he decided to stay and build a business promoting and selling these wines to a larger audience. "I was persuaded by the sommelier in a restaurant to try a local wine", he says. "It was popped on the table in that beautiful bottle that captures your imagination straight away. I thought it was going to be an old-world rich wine, but when I tasted the freshness, acidity and fruitiness of it, I was absolutely blown away!"
Following a disastrous 2020, wineries have been very busy in 2021 with tourists, particularly from Spain and the other islands, visiting in numbers greater than pre-pandemic levels. Online sales with local deliveries have also given wineries a lifeline. Indeed, the wine business in Lanzarote is booming now on the back-end of the pandemic. There's also much promotion behind gastronomy and wine, which is important for the island. "It's not just about the beaches", notes Ollie. "We have something else high quality and interesting here."
The demographic of Ollie's business has also changed, with more people in their 20s and 30s booking tours directly through his website, rather than via the hotels. His online wine shop, launched in October 2020, sells both locally and further afield to mainland Europe, including the UK.
During a short visit to the island, Olly took me to visit four contrasting bodegas, Los Bermejos, El Grifo, El Tablero and Vulcano Lanzarote. As we drove along the main road running through the wine region from north to south, the imposing volcanic landscape began to hit home and the uniqueness of the vineyards' geography became ever more apparent.
Our first stop was at Bodega Los Bermejos in the municipality of San Bartolomé. The current owners bought the property in 2001 and in their first year produced 60,000 litres of wine. Nowadays, in a good year, they can produce potentially up to 800,000 litres. According to Ollie, Los Bermejos is a good example of what's been happening on the island in the last 20 years. Their ethos, quite similar across Lanzarote, is to look after the raw ingredients from vineyard all the way through to bottling. They only use native varieties here - Malvasía Volcánica, Diego, Listán Negro and Moscatel - and also buy in grapes from other farmers around the island. Although their own land is not certified organic, for some of their wines, they buy from organic-certified growers.
The 20-hectare vineyard is characterised by rows of vines (zanjas) growing behind low stone walls which protect them from the strong northerly trade winds. Without trellising, they try to grow upwards. However, in the face of hostile winds, they revert back down to ground level. In the run-up to harvest, these 'crawling vines' will have grown outwards by some distance. Typically, several weeks beforehand, vines will have been pruned back to ensure there's sufficient light getting to them and to concentrate more energy into ripening the grapes.
Here, as upwind and further away from the volcanic eruptions, the layer of picón is between 10cm and 30cm deep, compared to the 3m typical in the heart of La Geria.
Unlike most wineries on the island, Bodega Los Bermejos exports more than 10% of its wines, particularly to the USA.
I tried three of the wines, served from elegant, Italian-designed, brown glass bottles with information on the neck label and an integrated pourer built into the lip.
An old wine press, probably from the 19th century. Most large wineries use pneumatic presses now.
Ollie notes how the reputation of Lanzarote's reds lies a long way from reality. "Greater care is taken now over the timing of the harvest, with more skill and knowledge from overseas experience. Sadly, Lanzarote's reds are still suffering from a tarnished image, from years gone by and passed down through generations, that they're not as good as the whites. Yet we know from people on the tours, without this preconception, that they love the reds from the island. We sell a lot on the tours and from the shop. They are such distinctive wines and different from what you can get on the shelves elsewhere."
El Grifo's griffin logo was designed by renowned local artist Cesar Manrique in the 1980s.
El Grifo, in the region of La Geria, has been making wine since 1775. Since 1880, it has been owned by the same family, now in its fifth generation. The oldest bodega in the Canaries and one of the oldest in Spain, it's also the location of the Lanzarote Wine Museum. The winery has 60 hectares of vineyards, but buys in grapes from 200-300 winegrowers within the denominación.
Always at the forefront of new techniques, it was the first to bring in stainless steel vats (replacing the common use of concrete or cement) in the 1980s, which revolutionised winemaking on the island. Already using sustainable practices throughout its operations, since 2020 El Grifo has been producing wines using indigenous yeasts. The winery is now working towards full organic certification by 2025, its 250th anniversary.
The largest producer on Lanzarote, with up to 1.2 million litres of wine in a good year, further investment will see a wine experience area, tasting rooms and other initiatives, such as the first official WSET school in Lanzarote.
Moscatel vines like these, normally harvested in August, later than the other grapes, could yield up to 150-300kg of grapes. A supporting wooden trellis stops the vines falling over.
Walking between the chabocos, containing pre-phylloxera Moscatel vines dating back 200 years and surrounded by handmade dry stone walls, I spoke further to Luca Torrelli. During the previous 25 years, he tells me, they've been planting a new vineyard opposite with smaller vines and protecting walls, placed in zanjas. Planting density here is around 900 vines per hectare, while in the heart of La Geria, closer to the site of the volcanic eruptions, the figure is as low as 300. In comparison, a typical European vineyard could have up to 10,000 vines/ha, while some have even more.
"We need to improve production", Luca tells me, "as it's around a tenth of what can be done per square hectare elsewhere in Europe without water. Here, we can produce 800kg, while it's around 10,000kg/ha² in Italy, France and Spain etc.. So, we're improving up to 1,500 kg/ha² now, by reducing the space between vines, with each producing more or less the same number of grapes. We have a small tractor, the only machine we use in the vineyard, to collect the grapes and bring them to our winery. Everything else is hand-harvested."
The new vineyard at El Grifo
I tried three very different wines that demonstrate El Grifo's commitment to both tradition and the future.
As we head down the main road towards the heart of La Geria, the imposing otherworldly landscape of Timanfaya National Park comes into view between two volcanos on the right hand side.
Because we're closer to the site of the 1730 eruptions and more downwind, the thick layers of picón become ever more visible and the colours of the landscape change. It's clear how difficult it must be to traverse and care for vineyards here with no help from machinery. They require constant maintenance, especially with the windy conditions and Ollie tells me that farmers are in and out of the hoyos around 20 times per year on average. There are only 300-400 vines per hectare in this region, less than half of those just a few kilometres up the road, so yields here are very low.
The next stop on my mini tour of Lanzarote's vineyards takes me to boutique winery, El Tablero. Juan Antonio and his family have been producing wine for over 100 years. After his father died unexpectedly in 2010, he quickly had to learn how to produce wine from his four hectares of vineyards. Four years later, he quit his job as a taxi driver in Playa Blanca, refurbished the winery and began selling wine on site.
He only makes a few thousand bottles a year, which he sells from the on-site shop and does something different each vintage. In 2021, he produced around 5000 bottles, 3000 of which are white wine. The rest of the time, he manages this vineyard and another plot nearby on his own. "It's a real labour of love", says Ollie as we arrive. "Last year, he used a pneumatic press for the first time. Before that, he used a traditional wooden press that his father had found washed up on a beach in the 1970s!"
There are more plantings at lower ground where humidity collects naturally. Constant maintenance is required, so that the vines at the top, which are covered in ash, do not die.
A dramatic patchwork of plantings lying deep in the layer of picón, surrounded by horseshoe-shaped dry stone walls peeking out of the windswept grey ash, bedeck this unique landscape. "Before last year, it was so dry that the roots of some grapevines started to grow upwards through the ash in search of water!", notes Ollie. In the background a volcano hovers, thankfully in silence, while at the opposite end of the Canary Islands archipelago, the island of La Palma continues to be ravaged by the power of nature. (Thankfully, that eruption was declared over on Christmas Day, a month after my visit to Lanzarote.)
I tried five of their wines at La Bodeguita del Tablero, which were all impressive, with a backdrop to marvel at:-
All these wines are superb value for money at €8-9 per bottle, with the Moscatel slightly higher at around €12.
We're now heading to Tías, the second-largest town on the island and location of our last stop, Bodega Vulcano Lanzarote.
Víctor Rafael Díaz Figueroa, owner of the winery, is also currently president of D.O. Lanzarote. His family have been growing grapes and making wine for five generations on 15 hectares of land. Deciding that he'd rather make wine instead of selling on his grapes, Victor set up a winery in 2009 and now produces around 100,000 litres of wine in a good year.
The bodega has a stylish little shop off the main road in Tías, while the wines are produced next door in what looks like a townhouse. It even has its own road sign, while the Health Centre, a few doors away, does not!
We tried three of their distinctive and elegantly-packaged, vegan-certified wines:-
Lanzarote's food is perfectly matched to its wines, such as Malvasía Volcánica with this dish of cherne, the local stone bass, Canarian potatoes and salad.
Ollie has no doubt that Lanzarote's wines offer something new and relevant for the modern-day wine lover. "Everything about Lanzarote wine is unique. From the ash strewn volcanic vineyards, right through to the imaginative bottle designs. Here on the Island, unique ungrafted vines grow in conditions which geographically shouldn't be possible. Yet over time, these native varietals have excelled and in doing so, give a distinct authenticity to the wine. Nowadays, we see a more open minded consumer than ever and that isn't necessarily just within the wine space: a customer that seeks a new and interesting story - one with tradition and is somewhat distanced from the mainstream. Lanzarote packs all of this into its fabulous wines."
Just from tasting these 14 wines from four different wineries, it is clear that there is great diversity of style from this small island in the Atlantic Ocean. Freshness, acidity and salinity characterise many of the wines, particularly the Malvasía Volcánica, while modern expressions of Listán Negro belie the outdated beliefs that Lanzarote reds lack quality. Alcohol levels are rarely felt due to the acidity and each winery uses its own style of bottle which has also become a selling point and almost a brand identity.
Further wines enjoyed in the local restaurants, such as Vega de Yuco's Yaiza Blanco Seco (100% Malvasía Volcánica) in its iconic blue glass bottle and the same winery's Princesa Ico Semidulce (85% Malvasía Volcánica, 10% Moscatel, 5% Diego with 20g/L RS) confirm once again just what an exciting wine region this is. Add to the mix, the superb craft beers from Arrecife's Cerveza Nao and the traditional licores de Lanzarote, then this is a destination that should appeal to beer, wine and spirits enthusiasts looking to try something different and truly 'crafted'.
You can find more information on the wines and wineries of the island on the Turismo Lanzarote and D.O. Lanzarote websites and also at Wine Shop Lanzarote and Wine Tours Lanzarote.
