📍 Canary Islands

The Canary Islands are a volcanic archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa, belonging to Spain. Wine is made on many of the islands: Tenerife, Lanzarote, La Palma, Gran Canaria, El Hierro and La Gomera. The archipelago is part of Spanish wine but differs sharply from the mainland: the soils are volcanic and the climate is warm and windy.

Rare local grapes survive on the islands: Listán Negro (red), Listán Blanco (also known as Palomino), Vijariego, Bermejuela, Baboso Negro and Malvasía. On a number of islands phylloxera never reached the vineyards, so very old vines on their own roots can be found.

The most unusual vineyards are on Lanzarote. There the vine is planted in pits in a layer of black volcanic ash and protected from the wind by semicircular stone walls. The ash absorbs night moisture, and the vine grows with very little rain.

White, red, rosé and sweet wines are made. The islands have their own appellations, and the taste depends largely on altitude and wind. The planting pits on Lanzarote are called "hoyos", and the island's best-known wine district is La Geria.