03 August 2010
Posted in
Tenerife
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Tenerife Wine-making History
Making wine in Tenerife and the Canary Islands is a local tradition that has been part of its heritage for many years, with many of the local population still making wine from their own home-grown vines.
It is said that the first vines in Tenerife were planted in the year 1447 by a Portuguese man called Fernando de Castro. Wine culture continued to vigorously grow and at the beginning of the 16th century Tenerife was conquering Europe with its fine wines. Tenerife wine production was so successful that the great writers of the times, such as Walter Scott and Shakespeare himself, referred to the quality of the wines in some of their works.
The production of wine continued to grow and the wealth that was created stimulated the economic development of the port of Garachico, which sits at the foot of Mount Teide in the north of the island. This trend continued to manifest until around 1663 when cheaper exports became available from the island of Madeira and Porto in Portugal.
In 1706 on the 5th of May a huge volcanic eruption totally destroyed the port of Garachico and understandably, wine production ceased as a major industry for many years.
In the 20th century winemaking, or vinification, again underwent a popular revival and has increasingly developed an energetic momentum. In 1985 Tacoronte-Acentejo received the first accolade of “designation of origin in Tenerife”. This boosted the winemaking industry and today there are now five “designations of origin” areas, which produce and control wine making for over 100 wineries.
White Wines
White wines in Tenerife were the first to be produced and became very popular all over Europe. The Malvasia wines were the most popular of all with the grapes originally coming from Greece.
Nowadays the Malvasia grape is mixed with the Listan Blanca grape and also the Gual grape, giving Tenerife three superb varieties of white wine and producing a dry, a semi dry and a cask wine. They are all widely available on the island and perfectly compliment seafood dishes. The wines are known for their fruity aroma with a hint of aniseed, which is present especially in the dryer white wines. All the wines are smooth leaving a pleasant taste in your mouth with a wonderful fruit aroma.
Red Wines
Red wines in Tenerife were produced after the initial success of the islands white wines, and today they have achieved world renowned recognition for their quality and uniqueness. There are 5 varieties of red wine produced in Tenerife and are categorised as; Traditional, Reserve, Cask, Crianza and Maceration. They are all produced using a mixture of the Negramoll and Listan Negro Canarian grapes.
According to the world of wine experts, the traditional red tastes dry and full-bodied with a strong and fruity aroma. The Maceration has a full bodied flavour whilst leaving a fruity aftertaste with a hint of wood. The Crianza red wine, which mainly comes from the area of Tacoronte, has a woody vanilla flavour with a fruity aroma, leaving a varied aftertaste. The reserve is characterised by its complex toasty, vanilla and tobacco “finis”.
Rosé Wines
Canarian rosé wines are quite numerous and Tenerife is no exception. Although red and white wines are widely produced, the island has a very wide variety of superb and high quality rosé wines. With the rich ecological culture of the Canaries, many of the best wineries in Tenerife have produced many prize winning rosé’s.
Given the climate in the Tenerife and the rest of the Canary Islands, it's no wonder the light and refreshing rosé wines are so popular as they make a perfect companion for an afternoon on the sun terrace.
Malvasia Wine
After the very early conquests of Tenerife many centuries ago, the making of Malvasia wine, which was produced from a Greek grape of the same name, was the biggest industry on the island. This wine quickly became one of the most sought after wines in the world. In recent times, some traditional wineries have kept this recipe alive and this wine makes the perfect accompaniment for desserts, or as an aperitif for a fine Canarian cheese.