The wines of Tenerife are among the most singular in Europe. High-altitude vineyards, grape varieties that survived phylloxera, unique volcanic terroir, a five-century winemaking history that enthusiasts from around the world are just beginning to discover.
Vines took root in Tenerife as early as the 15th century, shortly after the conquest. The conditions were ideal: mineral volcanic soils, cool altitude, regular trade winds.
By the 17th century, "Canary wine," primarily Malvasia, was being exported to England and Northern Europe. Shakespeare mentions "Canary wine" in several plays, often paired with "sack."
The 19th-20th century brought decline: international competition, phylloxera in Europe (but not in the Canaries—the pest never reached the archipelago), rural exodus to Venezuela.
The revival beginning in the 2000s thrust Canarian wines onto the international stage, driven by a new generation of winemakers.
Phylloxera, the aphid that devastated European vineyards in the 19th century, never reached the Canaries. Result: centuries-old vines on their original rootstock, an extremely rare situation in Europe.
These old ungrafted vines produce grapes of exceptional concentration and complexity.