The best way to get to know the wine culture of
Gran Canaria is to visit the island’s wine cellars. Some of these
cellars have their own museums and virtually every cellar has
tasting facilities, where you can buy the local wines directly. In
many cellars, you can also enjoy the local cuisine by prior
reservation. This “rebirth” of viticulture in Gran Canaria has been
enriched by the inauguration of the Wine Museum, which is located in
a house in the centre of Santa Brígida that is more than two
centuries old. ( Visit the link below to Gran Canaria Wine )
Tenerife
D.O.
ABONA
This D.O.
was officially recognized at the end
of 1996. The district holds 2000 hectares
vine fields, spread over a big area on the
southern part of Tenerife, where the
landscape is dry and rough.
The
vineyards are situated in a height between
200 and 1600 meters, and are therefore
placed among the highest in Europe.
The best and most well-balanced wines comes
from the fields placed over 600 meters. Here
the soil, being from volcanic origin, is
fertile, dark and well-drained.
The sorts
cultivated here are Listán
Blanca (70%) and Listán Negra
(30%).
D.O. TACORONTE-ACENTEJO
This D.O. is found in
a perfectly bound area on the northern part
of Tenerife. In the latest years it has gone
through a heavy renovation, both regarding
ways of production and structure of the
companies.
The climate is
affected by the Atlantic Ocean, moist but
tempered. It is often raining, and there are
many cloudy days, which together with the
influence of the dew, gives more than
sufficient water to the wine yards. The
average temperature of the year is about 16
degrees, and there is a precipitation of 450
mm.
The wine yards lies on
terraces on steep hills turning north
towards the ocean, in a height at 200 - 800
meter. The soil, lying on volcanic
underground, is reddish, very penetrating,
rich in organic material and short of chalk.
The most important,
recognised vines are the green Gual,
Listán Blanco, Malvasía and
Muscatel and the blue Listán Negro
and Negramoll. The two blue grapes
are preferred.
This D.O. produces
following types of vine: white wine with 10
- 12,5% alcohol, traditionally macerated
white-wine, carrying 12 - 14% alcohol,
rosé-wines at 10,5 - 13% and red-wines at 12
- 14,5% alcohol. The most part of the wines
in this D.O. are young, easy and fresh
wines, but there also are wines stored by
the general rules.
They are trying to
export a little of these wines.
D.O.
VALLE DE GÜÍMAR
This district, which by the
way received D.O. Status in 1995, is
situated on the south-eastern part of
Tenerife. The vines grows in a big area, in
a height of between 200 and 1600 meter. The
best wines you get from the fields above 600
meter, where the earth and climate is best
situated to wine growing. The earth, being
from volcanic origin, is fertile and well
drained.
There is
mostly made white wines, and the best of
these are very interesting, with a good
structure, soft taste and a fruity
character.
So far
wine hasn't been exported from this area.
D.O.
VALLE DE LA OROTAVA
This district lies on
the northern part of Tenerife, in an
exceptional beautiful area slanting from the
lowest part of the Teide mountain towards
the sea.
The vine is grown in a
very original way, as the vine is plaited
and makes up to 10 meter plaits. The earth,
being from volcanic origin, is fertile and
rich in basis and nitrogen, but poor in
chalk, and it has a good ability to keep the
moistness. The climate is generous, with
sufficient rain.
The white wines,
dominating in the western part of the
district, are young wines, straw coloured
with hints of amber in the colour and mild
in the taste. The red wines, there are
frequent in the eastern part, also are
young, beautifully ruby in colour, easy,
elegant and rich in fruits.
D.O.
YCODEN-DAUTE-ISORA
Inside this D.O. there
are a handful of wine companies, able to
produce some brilliant white wines. It is an
active and technological well developed D.O.
This D.O. covers a big
and characteristic area in the Northwestern
part of Tenerife.
The volcanic earth,
being fertile and of a fine physical nature
affects the cultivated vines very much. This
results in getting wines having a special
bouquet.
Wine is grown from the
coast to great heights, and the wine yards,
placed the highest, enjoy special
respect because of the fine quality of the
wines, while wine growing in the lower
regions are about to die out. About 1000
hectares are cultivated, and the method of
growing vary after the place of the area.
The most important
recognised drapes are the green
Malvasía, Vijariego and
Muscatel, and
the blue Listán Negro,
Negramoll and Malvasía Rosada.
There is produced
white, rosé- and red wines with between 11%,
11,5% and 12% alcohol.
The area produces
traditionally rosé wines, even if there to
day also is produced white- and red wines.
All the wines are young, with a fresh
sourness and a fine balance in the taste.
They distinguish by their big bouquet,
having a distinctly flower like touch.
There are almost none
export of these wines.
El Hierro
D.O.
EL HIERRO
This D.O. is covering
the whole of the Canary Island El Hierro,
who has a tradition for wine-growing,
documented all way back to the 17th Century.
In the later years they use modern equipment
and new methods of production, and thereby
they have been able to overcome some
weaknesses, which the wines from this area
has had traditionally, and there is reached
a level comparably to other canary
districts. The D.O. status for the
area was official recognised in 1996.
The vine grows on
steep hills in the height of between 200 and
700 meter. Here the earth, being volcanic,
loose and rather poor, but it has a
relatively good ability to keep the
moisture. The climate is temperate, rather
dry in the lower areas and more moist higher
up.
One produce white, red
and rosé wine, one kind of each, and these
wines are sold solely on the island.
La Palma
D.O. La Palma
D.O. La Palma covers 600 ha
spread on the Island La Palma in a height of
from 200 to 1000 meter.
The two most important
sub-areas are the following:
Fuencaliente-Las Manchas,
situated on the southern point of the
Island and known for its Malvasías. Here
the wine grows in ashes up the steep
hills of the volcano.
The grades of
grapes grown here, are Malvasía
and Listán Blanco. From the
Malvasísa is produced both sweet and
dry wines with a outstandingly taste,
and young white wines being very up to
date.
Hoyo de Mazo-Las
Breñas is situated on the eastern part
of the Island. Here the cultivated earth
is covered by volcanic rocks, as the
vine are creeping over. You will get a
very tasty redwine from the grape
Negramoll.
Here is produced the so-called
"vinos de tea" which trough the
contact to the Canary pine during the
production gets a touch of resin
to the taste.
Wine from La Palma was never exported.
Lanzarote
D.O.
LANZAROTE
The typical wines from
Lanzarote comes from wine-yards, cultivated
under exceptional ecological conditions.
The production area
includes 2000 ha. wine-yards and can be
split in two sub areas: The central and
southern part around La Geria, and the
northern part Haría-Yé.
The wine-yards in the
central and southern part is situated in an
area covered by a thick, dark volcanic
granulate ( picón ). In the bottom of
some big pots, dug out in the earth, is
planted 2 - 3 vines. More than the Picón
protects the vines against the warm winds
from Sahara, it is also, because of its
ability to suck up moisture from the nights
dew, able to give off water to the vines.
This is essential to them in the very dry
climate. The density of the vines is low,
about 400 - 500 vines on each hectare.
The most important grape, cultivated here,
is the legendary Malvasía, followed
by the green grapes Diego and
Listán Blanco, and the blue Listán
Negro.
Together with the classical Malvasías, being
stored, noble, amber or golden wines, and
the sweet Malvasías or Moscateles, there are
lately come fresh, young, perfumed white
wines, having a big body and fineness,
and which have great success. There's also a
small production of rosé and redwine.
Wines have never been
exported from this D.O.
