As you visit Gran Canaria’s different bodegas, you’ll truly get a feel for the place via the people, their trade and their traditions which are deeply rooted in their landscape. Most wineries offer wine-tasting tours, so hit the road and taste the best of the island’s vino. From the volcanic valley’s in the north-westerly Agaete, to the central fertile lands, here are a few bodegas not to miss:
In the fertile north-western Agaete valley, at the foot of the Tamadaba Natural Park’s rocky hills and sloping pine forests, you’ll find the Jorge family who have been working the land at La Laja for five generations. Their vines are planted at sea level, yet the valley acting as a shield, protecting them vines from the salty sea breeze. Not only that, they cultivate tropical fruits and produce a chocolate-toned coffee too – making them Europe’s only coffee plantation!
It’s free to visit this bodega, with guided visits and tasting sessions also available for a small charge. Here they produce eight different types of wine that reflect the island’s varying microclimates. Expect aromatic whites like a monovarietal Malvasia from the windy southern vineyards, while 1,000m up in the central Medianías region, their vineyards’ rich volcanic soils create intensely dark and fruity reds, like the Listán Negro varietal.
Bodega Vega de Gáldar are another team of winegrowers behind the island’s north-western viniculture revival. This old family farmhouse-turned-winery produces a handful of different wines: their red organic El Convento is named so because the vineyard where its cultivated sits on the site of the former Franciscan convent. Meanwhile, their fresh and fruity white Nubia, a blend of Malvasia and Listán Blanco, is named after one of the co-owners’ daughter.
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