Canary Islands Flashcards
List some DOs of Canary Islands
Abona
El Hierro
Gran Canaria
La Gomera
La Palma
Lanzarote
Tacoronte-Acentejo
Valle de Gulmar
Valle de la Orotava
Ycoden-Daute-Isora
Las Islas Canarias (overarching DO)
White grapes other than malvasia permitted (recommended) for canary islands
Bermejuela
Vijariego Blanco (vijiriego in Granada)
Albilla Real
Moscatel
Gual (Madeiras Boal)
Forestera Blanca (differs from island to island)
What are Hoyos? Where can I find them?
Pits dug in volcanic soil in Lanzarote so vines can take root. Also acts as windshield
Tallest peak in Spain
Mount Teide, Tenerife
3,718 meters. Active volcano
Canary island with highest concentration of producers and highest vineyards in Europe
Tenerife, vineyards as high as 1600 m
Famous bottling of Envinate on Tenerife
Taganan (tinto, bianco both styles)
Notable Bodegas of Lanzarote
Los Bermejos
Rubicon
Where do I find Vinos do Tea
La Palma (Canary Islands)
Vino de Tea: wines come from the northern sub zone of the island. Must spend a minimum 6 months in Canary Pine (Pinus Canariensis) vessels.
In Vino Clarete style wines of La Palma, what % of blend must be red wine?
Minimum 25% of the blend must be red grapes which have been fermented on the skins. May also be non-vintage.
Wine map canary islands
Two island DOs of Canary Islands with the most plantings
Lanzarote 1963 ha
Tenerife 1184 ha
Islands of productions Canary Islands
La Palma (DO La Palma)
La Gomera (DO La Gomera)
Tenerife (DO Tacoronte-Acentejo, DO Valle de Guimar, DO Abona, DO Valle de la Orotava, DO Ycoden-Daute-Isora)
Gran Canaria (DO Gran Canaria)
Fuerteventura (NO DOs)
Lanzarote (DO Lanzarote)
Traditional training method of Canary Islands:
Trenzado
This red grape is native to the Canary islands and is the most planted red grape
Listan Negro (Not related to Listan Prieto)
Canary Islands are 100 km west of Morocco, and due South from this Island
Madeira
What does Islas Canarias mean
Islands of dogs
when Romans found packs of wild dogs in Fuerteventura in second century CE
in 1402, this French explorer claimed the Canary islands for Castille
Jean de Béthencourt
native people of the canaries were conquered in this year
1496, when winegrowing began
What did the British call fortified Malvasía from Canaries?
Canary Sack
Canaries are on the 28th parallel. What is crucial in viticulture here?
Elevation
only island of the seven canary islands without DOs
Fuerteventura
most important grape/style of the canaries, and most planted grape
Listán Bianco (Palomino) fresh, dry, unfortified style
synonym for the Native grape Bermejuela in canary islands
Marmajuelo
This Malvasía of Canary islands was the original Malmsey of Madeira
Malvasia di Lipari, named for Sicilian island where it is also cultivated
Most favored Malvasía grape of Canary Islands
Malvasia Branca de Sao jorge, used for sweet wines of Canary islands
Malvasia Volcanico (Malvasia Lanzarote) is a cross of these two grapes
Malvasia di Lipari and Marmajuelo
Pink skinned mutation of Malvasia
Malvasía Rosado
Vijariego Blanco is known as this on Lanzarote
Diego
This red grape covers the most vineyard area of any grape in the Canary Islands
Listán Negro
Unrelated to Listán Prieto
Synonym to Negramoll (canary islands, native to Andalucia)
Tinta Negra (Madeira)
Bastardo (Trousseau) is called this on Canary islands
Tintilla
Baboso Negro (Canaries) is a synonym of this grape in Arribes DO
Baboso Negro is
Alfrochiero in Portugal
synonym for Vijariego Negro
Sumoll
describe how Mt. Teide in Tenerife creates a rainshadow and affects viticulture
winds blow from North to South, trapping humid air on the North side of the island, leaving hotter, more arid conditions in the South
What are “suertes”
Small vineyard plots belonging to family wineries on Tenerife
Five DOs of Tenerife (only island with multiple DOs)
Tacoronte-Acentejo, Valle de la Orotava, Ycoden-Daute-Isora (all in North)
Abona, Valle de Guimar (South)
Tenerife’s oldest and largest DO
Tacoronte-Acentejo
northeastern stretch of the island, reddish volcanic soil up to 1000m.
Reds favored: Listan Negro and Negramoll
Training method of Valle de la Orotava DO (Tenerife)
Trenzado, or cordón system. Braiding vines for several meters and raising them up with sticks at intervals so they don’t touch the earth.
Listan Bianco and Listan negro are most planted here. Soils are more clay based.
This varietal accounts for 70% of Ycoden-Daute-Isora DO in Tenerife
Listan Bianco
Valle de Guimar DO is drier and hotter than those on the North side of the Teide. What kind of wine dominates here?
white wine, from Listan Blanco, most planted variety. High elevation, 800 and 1400 meters!
This DO creates a U shape on the Southern half of Tenerife, and has Europes highest vineyards
Abona DO, Tenerife
Listan Blanco most important, vines up to 1600 meters
What is Ceniza?
Black Volcanic topsoil of Lanzarote. 30 active volcanoes there.
what are zanjas?
Series of linear trenches for vines, protected by rows of stone mounds in Lanzarote.
Three growing areas of Lanzarote
La Geria (furthest south, most hoyos)
Masdache (split between Tinajo and Masdache proper)
Ye-Lajares (Far North of the island)
Lanzarote is known for this
Historic sweet wines, fortified and unfortified
Synonym for Listan Negro on Lanzarote
Negro Común
This man planted the first vines in El Hierro DO in 1526
Englishman John Hill
Westernmost of the Canary Islands
most important red and white grapes of El Hierro DO
Listan Blanco
red and white Vijiriego
Listan Negro
Baboso Negro
This DO island is known as La Isla Bonita
La Palma DO
lush topography
Last major eruption in 2021
Three subzones of La Palma DO
Fuencaliente (south and center east, Malvasia Volcanica)
Hoyo de Mazo (center west, known for reds)
Norte de la Palma (North)
Where can one find Sabro and Vino de tea?
La Palma DO.
Sabro is a grape used for sweet wines and grows nowhere else in the world
Vino de tea is rancio style in any hue aged in 500 L pine casks
Specialty of La Gomera DO
Forastera Blanca, most cultivated grape variety, indigenous specialty
What year was Gran Canaria DO established
2005, after absorbing former DO Monte Lentiscal
A central volcano in Gran Canaria DO divides vineyards in this way
Hotter, poorer quality in Southern part of island
Dominant variety in Gran Canaria DO
Listan Negro, or Negro Común
What is tinto del monte in Gran Canaria DO
red made from Negro Común (Listan Negro)
Most important white variety of Gran Canaria DO
Listán Blanco
What is Vino dulce clasico in Gran Canaria DO
Vino Dulce Clásico: is to be made from grapes dried on the vine or “sunned” and is to undergo a controlled fermentation not exceeding 25 degrees C.
Recommended white grapes of Gran Canaria DO
Albillo Criollo, Bermejuela (Marmajuelo), Forastera Blanca, Doradilla, Güal, Malvasía Aromática, Malvasía Volcánica, Moscatel de Alejandría, Sabro, Verdello, Vijariego Blanco or Diego.
