Non phylloxera, Extreme Viticulture, Malvasía Volcánica and its Artisan Wines /part one/ Just below the last vine-growing frontier, at the 29th parallel north, the unique island of Lanzarote rises from the Atlantic. It is unique in everything, from its lunar landscape, through exuding a strong will of islanders for the return of life, as well wine-growers to merge with nature, to the final product of exquisite wines with a clear sense of place. Lanzarote, also called Fire Island (Isla del Fuego) of "island of 1000 volcanoes", although someone counted about 150 of them, is only 60 km long and 25 km wide. The island is considered that have been formed 15 million years ago, but the time is measured before and after the great eruption of 1730-36. Before the eruptions, large parts of the island were covered in some of the most fertile and richest soil, with grains and vegetables everywhere. Until Montanas del Fuego (Mountains of Fire) begun spewed lava, ash, and smoke for six years, and deposited layers of volcanic ash (mostly black sand, granulation size up to approx. 5mm) across the island. One of the most affected areas, with a thicker layer of ash, is La Geria, which is now famous for its fine wines, or as they have recently been called volcanic wines - wines made from grapes from vineyards grown on volcanic soil. However, the soil is only one aspect of the terroir and needs to interact with other parts, such as climate, precipitation, exposure, grape variety, and so on. THE GUARDIAN OF LIFEWhen you first set foot on the island, you have the impression that everything revolves around magical volcanic ash, so you might easily think that this is the key to the structural characteristics later in the wines. Bearing in mind that water has always been a challenge for the islanders, and that the annual precipitation is extremely low (barely 100 mm), before the crucial eruption, due to the low water level, they did not even engage in viticulture.
FISSURES (CHABOCOS) A few years after the big eruption, the persistent islanders were looking for a way to restore life on their island, and they concluded that the sub-layers of the soil were now richer in nutrients, you just need to get to it. The first vineyards were built in the naturally formed fissures of cooled lava, locally called Chabocos as the easiest way to reach precious soil for vine roots. This way of training the vines has proven to be excellent for the traditional cultivation of varieties that need more water, such as Muscat. PITS & STONE WALLS (HOYOS & SOCO) The vineyards of La Geria Valley, located in the central part of the island, at the foot of the Fire Mountains (Montañas del Fuego), were the most affected area where the layer of volcanic ash is up to 3 m deep. This imposed a new approach to viticulture that certainly changed the landscape of Lanzarote and shaped its winemaking distinctiveness. The vineyards that resemble a lunar landscape are conical pits locally called Hoyos. On their northern side, a semi-circular walls called Soco was lined up, mostly made of basalt rocks, with the aim of protecting the vine from the wind. Some experts say that its role is actually to reduce erosion of the volcanic ash (rofe) caused by the winds.
TRENCHES (ZANJAS) The extremely low yield in the pit system (hoyos) can be raised by the trench system, where smaller blocks of vineyards are surrounded by stone walls, locally called (Zanjas). The advantage is a higher yield of around 20 hl/ha as a result of higher planting density.
THE CRATERS Craters of extinct volcanoes seem to be a real treat for Lanzerot winemakers. No matter how much we look at the soil, the altitude of these vineyards is a key aspect due to the concentration of UV radiation, and greater diurnal range. The crater itself offers better protection from the wind and the concentration of moisture in the central part due to its naturally large conical shape. It can be said that it acts like a giant pit (hoyo) with the difference that it carries many more vines in its heart than the mentioned regular Hoyo. Viticulture in Lanzarote focuses on organic wine production, with minimal intervention in the vineyards, and a focus on the local varieties mentioned above. It is an advantage that these wine varieties were not grafted on American rootstock because phylloxera never set foot on the island. However, we will deal with wines, volcanic or non-grafted Vitis vinifera, and others, in the second part of this story. Stay tuned!
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