Wines from Gran Canaria Grapevines were introduced into the Canaries by the Castilian Conquerors in the 15th century, and became the dominant crop. The Canary grape became famous around the world, being known as Malmsey Canary Wine, or simply Canary wine. It is worth remembering that the Canaries were a vitally important location for sailing routes between Europe and America, meaning they had access to a range of winery products from all around the world. However, a series of unfortunate historical events (competition from wines from Andalusia, a breakdown in relations with Great Britain and the appearance of desease in grapevines, among others), led to wine-making falling off considerably for over a century. Then in the 1990s, the wine industry on the island began to recover, in the form of a small number of winegrowers in different areas, who restructured the cultivation systems that enabled new working practices and new technological advances, achieving a balance between deep-rooted tradition and cutting edge technology. Alongside this, the wine industry modernized facilities at their bodegas and improved their wine-making processes.
Parallel to these efforts, the Cabildo de Gran Canaria has developed different lines of research and services to farmers to bolster their efforts while helping to preserve the traditional Canary countryside.
Characteristics of Gran Canaria’s wines The Canaries enjoy a wide range of wine varieties, and considering that the phylloxera plague didn’t affect the region, low vine stumps can still be cultivated today, without having to resort to root grafting. For this reason, unique varieties on a world level can be obtained, with all the benefits that come with it, namely plant longevity offering a great purity of wine. Meanwhile, due to the specific climatic conditions in the Canaries, grapevines can be cultivated at altitudes ranging from 100 metres to 1,500 metres above sea level, allowing for the existence of many different varieties in a tiny territory, while obtaining grapes with different oenological characteristics out of any single variety. There are currently around 35 different varieties of vines in the Canaries.
These advancements to the sector led to improvements in the quality of production and profitability of wine in Gran Canaria.
Wines from Gran Canaria
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