It is the wine group oldest in the Canary Islands and up to three different families have already passed through it, making very unique wines without interruption. The El Grifo winery can be proud to reflect in each of its bottles the pure volcanic essence that characterizes the region where it is installed. In an atypical farmland, the artisan viticulture they practice is one of the most curious in Spain. We will delve deeper into it below. Be amazed!
Eruptions before origin
On the island of Lanzarote, in the Palmas of Gran Canaria, there is an enclave that already stands out from a bird's eye view by the rows of vineyards that decorate some green land desert and dark. Those who have been working in a very peculiar way since the year 1775, when it started in the El Grifo winery its amazing story. This was possible after one of the last eruptions of the volcanoes in the area in 1736.
These natural phenomena expelled more than one billion cubic meters of washed that turned the land into a whole unique volcanic landscape. That boiling mass was solidified together with the ashes of each volcano and completely wiped out the existing flora. But the central region of the island remained as the more fertile to develop something magical. Yes, we are referring to the vineyard, which can be cultivated after digging holes in the lava or removing that volcanic sand to find vegetable vestiges sunk.
The first family to venture into it was The Ribera, owner of these lands before rashes. They were located within what is now the municipal district of San Bartolome. In addition to planting the stocks, the press was built, a house and the primitive winery building, now converted into museum. Then, after a complicated period of disputes over the estate's inheritance, the From Castro They acquired the property and began a new stage that lasted until 1833.
Already in the 70s and 80s, the family Garcia Duran bought the land currently managed by the fifth generation of descendants. The El Grifo winery of the present it was built by its current owners, who also preserved the old buildings.
Particularity of the volcanic terrain
All the tasks of the winegrowers are carried out manually due to the conditions of such a particularly volcanic terrain. This traditional work in the vineyard has been completed later with the innovations introduced by the new generations. Among them, the bottling of wine with pioneering machinery in the Canary Islands or also the methods and types of prepared broths.
Now, the most characteristic and original is found in the whole of his terroir. Because of this it is worth highlighting all those elements that are linked to the ground, as well as to the environment molded by the eruption. A landscape almost devastated with vegetation if it weren't for those vines that line up to form rectangular rows in which each strain is separated from another by circular volcanic stone walls. These shelter the plantation frank walking, which refers to an ungrafted vine, which is part of the same plant.
That was a technique that was born as a remedy to fight the plague of phylloxera, which did not affect the Canary Islands. As for those erections of walls, they serve to stop the trade winds that blow regularly on the island. In the end, the winegrowers had to overcome those obstacles on such a special terrain.
Wines from El Grifo Winery
The wine varieties prefiloxera are the true protagonists of the wines obtained in the El Grifo Winery. Among them stands out the Volcanic Malvasia (the most important in Lanzarote) and the Listan Negro (the most abundant of Canary Islands). Others are vijariego, Listán Blanco and even the famous Moscatel.
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Of its most relevant wines, it is worth mentioning those of this main variety with the wines dry, semi and sweet. On the other hand, there are the reds and even rosés from Listán Negro or those cataloged as "especially rare." In its shop online you can find all these exclusive products that they finish off with some bottles of «old sweets«. Because the Lanzarote family does not forget the wine tradition.
In short, we encourage you to discover this Canary Island during your visits and tastings El Grifo winery protected by the DO Lanzarote. One of the ten oldest in Spain but surprising for that original volcanic touch.
