Arnold Waldstein's Blog

Wines from the Canary Islands?

Geography and history were never this much fun before.

The Lanzarote wine region is on the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa and some 70 miles from the Iberian Peninsula of Spain. It is a tiny area with only 18 active wineries.

I admit, I had to look at a map to understand where this was. And I had to do some research to discover that while today very small quantities of wine are exported, in Shakespearean times wines from the Canary Archipelago defined excellence in taste and were shipped worldwide.

The geographical uniqueness (and agricultural harshness) of this place is astounding. Lanzarote has approx 250 volcanos…some not so inactive. There is no irrigation in the vineyards and the grapes are grown in small man-made craters about a foot high that mimic the larger volcanic craters that cover the island. These conical structures capture the moisture from the ocean winds, which collects in the porous volcanic ash and sand. There is little rain and these odd, so weird, agricultural cones, are the sustaining ecosystem for the grape vines.

I had heard of the Malvasia vine for white wine but the Listan Negro, the red grape from which the Bermejo Lanzarote Tinto is made was a new one to me. And unusual and local and surprising are the key words to describe this wine.

I really enjoyed this bottle. Rich. Velvety. Concentrated yet delicate. It’s a completely unusual taste.

The highlight of this bottling is that it drives me to think of geography, the history of viniculture and the incredible diversity of winemaking from one location in Spain to another. The dreamy taste of the Bermejo is a world away from the complex Mencias made on the terraced slopes of the River Sil in the Northwestern corner of Spain.

For the curious. For the broad of palate. And for the individual who loves wine and relishes in the relationship of wine to location to climate and history, you need to give this one a try.

I guarantee that you will end up with a curious satisfaction to the palate and immediate Google the place, the varietal, and the history to try and put it all together.

$26 a bottle from Chambers Street Wines in TriBeCa, NYC.