Winegrowing in Lanzarote
Although Spanish wines are very popular internationally, Winegrowing inLanzarote is still largely unknown in the worldwide. The geological conditions of the Canary Island, which lies at the height of Morocco in the Atlantic, made it necessary to develop unusual cultivation methods in order to make wine growing possible. Nevertheless, high-quality wines are produced on Lanzarote, which are now considered an insider tip.
Viticulture under difficult conditions
Like all Canary Islands, Lanzarote is of volcanic origin. Normally, this guarantees fertile soils that favour viticulture. During a large volcanic eruption in the 18th century, however, large parts of the island were covered with ashes and stones. In order to plant vines, hollows have to be dug into this layer that reach down to the original surface.
However, this also has advantages because the dark ash warms up strongly during the day and releases this heat again at night. This protects the plants from the cool night temperatures. In addition, the ash layer absorbs moisture at night, which is of particular importance on the dry Canary Island. At the same time, the hollows, which are also provided with semi-circular walls made of volcanic rock, protect the vines from the wind. This allows them to thrive in spite of apparently adverse weather conditions.
In the La Geria landscape protection area in particular, this unique cultivation method shapes the face of the landscape.
Wines from Lanzarote
La Geria is also the main winegrowing area in Lanzarote, and several bodegas allow holidaymakers to get to know the winegrowing on the island from their own experience. In addition to the red grape varieties Listàn Negro and Negramoll, above all white wine, especially Listàn Blanco, the very sweet yellow Muscat and the Pedro Ximénez grape originating from Andalusia are grown.
Bodegas from Lanzarote are known as Bodegas La Geria, Bodegas El Grifo, Bodegas Bermejos or Bodegas Vega de Yuco.
The manual work that is necessary for the harvest is also reflected in the high quality of the wines. Since most of the Canarian wine is still consumed on the islands themselves and is usually not available in normal supermarkets in this country it is not easy to find it in local other countries.