So far this July we have seen a mix of baking hot Calima days with temperatures in the high 30’s where as other days where alot cooler than normal, we have found that humid and overcast conditions this July have prevailed. With temperatures and sunshine hours so changeable, timing the harvest remains almost a daily judgement!
Nonetheless, the first grape to be harvested in Lanzarote is the Malvasía Volcánica which usually makes up around 70% of the Island’s production. It is very versatile, making dry whites, fine sparkling wines, all the way through to the famed dessert wines. The first Malvasia grapes harvested on the Island are typically used for the sparkling wines, while the grapes hold higher acidity and lower sugar levels. As ripeness prevails, then sugars build up leading to other styles of wines being produced, ending with the sweet dessert wines.
The time to harvest is determined primarily by the ripeness of the grape as measured by sugar, and acidity. Therefore, winemakers base their decision when to pick, based on the style of wine they wish to produce. Harvest in Lanzarote runs from mid-July some years through to September, depending on weather conditions, the grape variety, and style of wine.
Manual harvest at Bodega El Grifo
On the Island, harvesting the grapes is all done by hand, typically in the early morning when the conditions and grapes are at their coolest. The grapes are picked from underneath the vines, making it back breaking work and then placed into small baskets. This ensures they can be filled without adding any pressure or damage to the grapes at the bottom of the container. This is one of the rules set by the Denominacion de Origen (“D.O.”) that must be followed. Each basket holds around 20kg which are filled with air vents, so that the grapes are kept fresh until they arrive to the winery. As many of you know it is impossible to get machinery into the vineyards, and when harvesting by hand the advantage is that the grapes are hand selected and not damaged, thereby keeping the quality high.
On arrival at the wineries the grapes are placed into cool storage for around 24 hours. This means that when the grapes are pressed the next day, the aromas and goodness is not lost to evaporation.
Grapes in 20kg baskets about to go into cool storage
Lanzarote’s harvest has always been remarkably diverse when it comes to yields, as the vines rely solely on nature’s weather patterns. The vines, again another rule from the D.O., cannot be watered by manual irrigation which means quantities collected each year can vary significantly. In 2016 we had a harvest of less than 700,000 kg rising to a record 4 million kg in 2018. Though 2019 and 2020 saw yields contract to approximately 2.9 m and 1.4 m kg respectively, largely due to very dry winters.
Asking around, we are expecting 2021 to be slightly ahead of last year’s harvest of 1.4 million kg. While many of you are aware we had a lot of rain this past winter, by Lanzarote’s standards at least, it will take some time to have an impact due to the extremely dry years before that. Pleasingly one thing that is pretty constant on the Island is quality. Thanks to plenty of sunshine, ripeness is never an issue and we generally have vintages approved with very high or excellent standards.
For us here, the team at Wine Tours Lanzarote, we are all ready to tie our shoelaces and to help with the harvest at the artisan wineries as we do every year! It’s always an exciting time of year and an experience to behold. No doubt we will have a story or two to tell you in August!
Wine of the month
Bodega los Bermejo Malvasía Volcánica Seco
This month we have selected the dry white wine from Bodegas Los Bermejos. Apart from being a fantastic wine and one of our and the Islands’ most popular, we know from many of you who comment it is the taste of the sunshine!
Bermejos’ dry white wine is one of the flagship and most authentic wines of the Island, made with the unique Malvasía Volcánica grape, with only stainless steel used in the winemaking. This ensures the wine is enjoyed as it’s meant to be, with very minimal intervention. An explosion of aromatic intensity, combining tropical fruits with a hint of lemon and green apple, well balanced, with a lovely acidity. To pair this wine with food, we’d suggest some fresh white fish or some very light local goats cheese.
This dry white is hugely popular on Lanzarote and is one we stock in Wine Shop Lanzarote in the UK & Ireland right here.
Well, that wraps it up from us for July. To learn even more you can join us for a Wine and Vineyard Walk Tour visiting three different vineyards. You can reserve your place here or contact us to offer a private tour and tasting.
We hope to see you soon!
