During our recent Canaries & North Africa Cruise, we visited northern mainland Spain (Galicia) and the Canary Islands, an autonomous region of Spain. We participated in a wine tour excursion at each location. While the vineyards and wine making process in Galicia were very similar to what we’re familiar with in the United States, the vineyards on Lanzarote in the Canary Islands were quite unique. Most of the varietals created white wines in both locations, with vinifera both familiar and previously unknown.
Lanzarote, the eastern-most island in the archipelago of the Canary Islands, lies less than 100 miles off the west coast of Morocco. The climate is classified as a sub-tropical desert, receiving less than 5” of rain annually. The island is of volcanic origin, with the worst eruptions occurring in the early to mid-1700’s. These eruptions destroyed the previously fertile farmland and vineyards. Even today, the island has little vegetation on its blackened, rocky and moon-like landscape. In addition to low precipitation, and barren volcanic soil, the island is also subject to the arid, hot sirocco winds originating in the Sahara, which can be quite fierce at times. These conditions combine to create a seemingly inhospitable place for vineyards, but the La Geria wine region thrives today thanks to the ingenuity of vineyard managers who learned to take full advantage of the few agricultural treasures that the island provides.
Viniculture in Lanzarote dates to the 1500’s, however, the massive eruptions of the 1700’s forced winemakers and vineyard managers to rethink their growing processes. While the poor quality of the volcanic soil is adequate for grapevines, the hot, dry conditions and strong winds are not. Ironically, the volcano and the island’s location provide a natural remedy. Because it is surrounded by the ocean, Lanzarote experiences relatively humid conditions year-round, averaging about 70% relative humidity. This, combined with cool nights (ranging from the upper 50’s in winter to upper 60’s in summer), creates ample dew. However, this overnight respite quickly dissipates in the strong daytime sunshine. To take full advantage of this phenomenon, farmers discovered that using picon (aka lapilli), tiny granules of porous volcanic rock, acts as a natural mulch, absorbing the moisture from the air overnight, releasing it into the ground, and preventing evaporation. This enables a form of dry cultivation called “enerenado.” No additional irrigation is required.
To take full advantage of moisture collection and to protect the vines from the strong winds, individual vines are planted in pits 13-16 feet wide and 6-10 feet deep. Each pit is further protected using semi-circular walls of stacked volcanic stones called zocos. Vines are not trellised, but grow close to the ground, cradled in the bottom of the pits. This growing technique is quite time consuming, not only in their preparation, but also when harvesting because all work is required to be done by hand without the use of tractors. Even so, the island produces over 2.5 million bottles of wine annually.
Though Lanzarote produces some red and rosé wines, white wines dominate, especially sweet white wines from varietals such as Malvasia, Diego, Listan Blanco (Palomino), Muscatel and Pedro Ximenez. Of these, Malvasia is the most common, comprising around 75% of production. Malvasia can also be used to produce dry white wines, which have become more popular. The indigenous Listán Negro is the most widely used for red wine production. Harvest normally occurs July through September, though due to this year’s warmer temperatures, harvest was about a month early.
We visited three bodegas on our wine tour of the La Geria region. Our favorite was El Grifo which has been producing quality wines since 1775, which makes it the oldest in the Canary Islands and one of the oldest in all of Spain. Here, the vines were grown in more traditional rows against a 3-4 foot high wall made of cemented volcanic rock. We tasted four wines here:
Dry Malvasia--This wine was fresh, light, crisp and aromatic with a very pale straw color. Bright pineapple washed over the tongue, with balanced acidity and nice minerality.
Semi-sweet Malvasia--Though I prefer dry wines, this semi-sweet was quite pleasant with a nose of tropical fruit and citrus. The balance between acidity and sweetness made this wine quite easy to drink.
Listán Negro--This unoaked red wine was very light and fruity and would pair nicely with pasta, or grilled poultry/pork dishes.
Ariana Red (50% Listan Negro, 50% Syrah)--This wine was much more complex, deeper in color to the previous one with a richer mouthfeel due to oak aging and battonage (stirring of the lees). The Syrah adds more fruit and a bit of spiciness and lends for a more lingering finish.
Considering the harsh conditions that Lanzarote provides, I was impressed that vineyards exist at all on this island. The low-to the ground growing technique reminded me of Santorini in Greece where the vines are trained into a low basket shape to trap and harvest the moisture from the evening fog and protect the vines from windy conditions. However, unlike Santorini, where the wines I tried were quite robust, Lanzarote wines are light and delicate, more reminiscent of a cool-climate appellation. The high mineral content of the volcanic soil gives this wine a unique quality. And, the ingenuity of the wine growers makes wines from Lanzarote stand out as one of the most unusual in the world.