Tenerife
Towering over Tenerife at over 12,000 feet, Mount Teide takes center stage, not only as an active volcano, but also as the source for the Valle de la Orotova, the winescape for some of Spain's most exciting wines, shaping everything from the soils beneath the vines to the character in every bottle.
Vineyards aren't planted inside Teide National Park, but savvy winemakers tend the vines along the volcano's lower slopes. The vineyards are pre-phylloxera, untouched by the devastating vine louse that swept across mainland Europe in the 19th century. Many of the island's vines still grow on their original rootstocks. Some have been producing fruit for well over a century, maintaining a real connection to the island's storied winemaking heritage.
A walk through the vineyards reveals a unique Canarian tradition. In the Valle de La Orotava, growers practice the centuries-old cordón trenzado, (braided cord) trellis training system. A majority of the pie franco (ungrafted) vines stretch out several feet away in wooden braids while remaining tethered to the mother trunks. The canes of the oldest vines can stretch out up to 60 feet in length.
That respect for tradition continues in the cellar. Grapes are hand-harvested from steep volcanic hillsides, fermented with native yeasts, and aged in concrete tanks or well-seasoned oak vessels that let the fruit and volcanic terroir do the talking.
By honoring tradition and refining innovation, the wines express their high elevation and oceanic influence revealing volcanic minerality and electricity. As a result of this heroic viticulture, these native, island wines are singular and very limited.
