26/07/2022
In Wine we trust.
Rising from the cinders of a terrain singed by recurring volcanic eruptions between 1730 and 1736, the vineyards of Lanzarote are a testament both to the hardiness of certain grape varietals and to the human spirit’s enduring commitment to seeking out wine in the most unlikely places. Part of the Canary Islands, Lanzarote is located off the coast of northwest Africa. Its vineyards, which border a still-active volcano, Timanfaya (part of the Timanfaya National Park), look nothing like the fertile wine-growing regions of the rest of the world.
When volcanic eruptions covered Lanzarote’s land in ash and lava, destroying most of the region’s agriculture, wine-growers became inventive. Digging crater-like hollows (called hoyos or gerias) by hand, vintners plant their vines deep into the soil, past the layers of ash. They fence off the sea-facing side with low, semi-circular walls made with lava stone. This protects the vines from winds blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. Each vine grows on one solitary, dug-out crater, which can be as much as 30 feet wide and 15 feet deep. The array of crescent-shaped stone walls (called zocos) cocooning spots of verdant green offers a patterned visual splendor in an otherwise arid landscape.
