WINE IN THE CANARY ISLANDS

The Canaries Archipelago is a first class natural landscape reserve. It is in the Atlantic Ocean, off the African coast, 2,000 kilometres from the Iberian Peninsula. The seven volcanic islands are blessed with a temperate, sunny and Atlantic climate. The Canary wines lived their golden age from the 16th century when they sailed the seas on route to the ports of Northern Europe and the Caribbean. Writers and poets of the time would frequently praise the Canary, a wine of the Madeira, Marsalla, Oporto and Sherry lineage which was capable of lifting the spirit and livening the heart. Although the Phylloxera plague never reached the archipelago, which explains why the plants are grafted onto local bases, at the end of last century two successive plagues (oidium and mildew) severely damaged the vines, to the extent that they took nearly a century to recover.

The great variety of climates and soils partly explains the diversity of grape species of the Canary vines.  The 1980´s marked the re-emergence of the Archipelagos wines which now have eight Designations of Origin: Tacoronte-Acentejo, Ycoden-Daute-Isora, Abona, Valle de Güimar and Valle de la Orotava, on the Islands of Tenerife as well as Lanzarote, El Hierro and La Palma.

Unique local grape varieties, rich volcanic soil, and a mild climate tempered by moisture-laden Atlantic tradewinds, make for distinctive and attractive wines. It may seem strange that there are so many Designations of Origin regions on one 2,000 sq.km. island, but the differences in local microclimates produced by the island's rugged terrain and its interaction with the tradewinds, make for a wide variety of growing conditions across Tenerife.

Abona - Situated toward the south on the eastern side of Tenerife, the region's vineyards lie at elevations from 300 to 1,750 meters -where the best quality grapes are grown.
Vineyards: 1,066 hectares
Grape varieties: White (80%) - Listán Blanco, Verdello, Malvasía, Sabro, Bermejuelo; Red (20%) - Listán Negro, Negramoll
Wineries: 7 - Grape growers: 524 - 1997 Production: 370,000 litres

Tacoronte-Acentejo - Situated to the northwest of Tenerife, the region's vineyards lie at elevations from sea level to 1,000 meters. The best developed, largest and oldest wine producing area. This was the fist area in the Canary Islands to win a "Mark of Origin", awarded by the Autonomous Region in 1992.
Vineyards: 1,200 hectares
.Grape varieties: White - Gual, Malvasía, Listán Blanco, Marmajuelo; Red - Listán Negro, Negramoll
Wineries: 42 - Grape growers: 1,483 - 1997 Production: 1,533,000 kilos of grapes
The main brand is "Viña Norte". 12.5% alcohol content made mainly with "Listán Negro" grapes and can be described as well presented, with a strong, intense, but fresh bouquet, fruity flavor, strong character, goes down nicely leaving a nice and long aftertaste.

Valle de Güimar - Situated on the eastern side of Tenerife, the region's vineyards lie at elevations from sea level to 1,400 meters.
Vineyards: 670 hectares.
Grape varieties: White - Listán Blanco (82.5%), Malvasía, Güal, Vijariego; Red - Listán Negro (13.5%), Negramoll
Wineries: 10 - Grape growers: 540 - 1997 Production: 370,000 bottles

Valle de la Orotava - Situated on the north coast Tenerife, the region's vineyards are situated at lower altitudes, under the more direct influence of the Atlantic tradewinds.
Vineyards: 465 hectares
Grape varieties: White- Bastardo Blanco, Güal, Forastera Blanca, Listán Blanco, Malvasía, Marmajuelo, Moscatel, Pedro Ximénez, Torrontés, Verdello, Vijariego; Red - Listán Negro, Negramoll
Wineries: 21 - Grape growers: 469 - 1997 Production: 1,219,445 kilos of grapes

Ycoden - Duate - This is an area of 1003 Has. of vines (560 registered with the Regulatory Council), between 75 m and 925 m above sea level. It includes the boroughs of San Juan de la Rambla, La Guancha, Icod de los Vinos, Garachico, Los Silos, Buenavista del Norte, El Tanque, Santiago del Teide and Guia de Isora.

Wine of Gran Canaria

There are two designations of origin in Gran Canaria.

The oldest one, with more historical tradition, is Monte Lentiscal. The designation was approved in 1999 and includes the cultivations from the protected landscape of Tafira, 1,413.6 hectares between the municipalities of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Santa Brigida and Telde. For red wine, they use varieties of common black grape: listan negro, negramoll, tintilla, moscatel negra y malvasia. For white wines, malvasia, gual, Pedro Ximenez, vermejuela or marmajuelo, breval, vijariefo, albillo, moscatel, listan blanca, burra blanca and torrontes.

The second designation of origin is that of Gran Canaria. This one covers the rest of the island. It was approved on 12th May 2000. The wine growers belonging to this designation elaborate red, white, rosé and sweet wines. They use varieties of common black grape: listan negro, negramoll, tintilla, moscatel and malvasia. The varieties of white grape used are: gual, Pedro Ximenez, marmajuelo, breval, vijariego, albillo, moscatel, listan blanco, burrablanca, torrontes and malvasia.

Wines of LANZAROTE & FUERTEVENTURA

In the 16th Century, wine was the most important product for export. Neither Lanzarote nor Fuerteventura had proper conditions for vine cultivation at this latitude - 29th parallel (the other islands were blessed with a more favourable altitude); however, despite the scarcity of rainfall (150cm/year) and the constant trade winds that whipped over the plants, the system they adapted led to their reputation as "the vineyard of the impossible".

The vineyard is an integral part of the Lanzarote landscape which is crowned by the summit of the Timanfaya volcano. Around La Geria region the vines grow from within holes dug out of the black volcanic rock and surrounded by a small round, stone wall. The intervention of man gives the whole venture a very singular characteristic of its own as well as defending the vine from the drought and the scorching Saharan winds which blow across this most western of the Islands. The white Malvasia species of grape dominates the vineyards and provides unmistakable sweet and semi-sweet wine.  Lanzarote is an "Apellation d'Origine" wine producing area, which includes a dozen vintners.  The wines of Lanzarote are of excellent quality and whoever drinks them participates directly in not only maintaining the rural tradition, but also the singular landscape of La Geria, unique in the world, resulting from the peculiar system used by the growers to extract this vital juice from the earth.

		For inexplicable reasons, phylloxero (insect disease) has not come to the Canaries. Root stalks can therefore be planted directly into the ground without the necessity of stalk grafting. During the first hundred years (since 1737), most of Lanzarote's wines were destined for liquor, which the merchants of Tenerife acquired by adding them to their wines.

Although Lanzarote was the last island of the Canaries to enter wine growing, it nevertheless has the oldest cellar in the Archipelago - El Grifo - which has been producing wine continuously since at least 1775 (according to the date of the inscription on one of the covered tubs).

2005