Today was an eye-opening experience for me tasting wines from the Canary Islands. I had never heard of wines from these islands, but I learned in this trade seminar by speaker Iain Philip, and agent, World Wine Synergy, that grapevines have been grown in this area since the 1400’s with vines brought from mainland Spain. There are 7 main islands that make up the Canary Islands, which are located about 1000km from Spain and only 100km from Morocco.
After the first grapes were planted they continued until the 1850s until there were two plagues that affected the vines; powdery mildew and downy mildew, but eventually were handled through fungicides. The most eastern island, Lanzarote, is where the wines we tasted today originate. This island has a very desert climate with yearly average temperatures varying between 22 degrees C in the winter and 28 degrees C in the summer, and only 150 mm of rain per year. Grapes need more water than that to flourish.
How are grapes growing on this island? The answer is a volcanic eruption that happened in 1730 and lasted till 1736. During that time the coarse volcanic ash overlaid the soil on this island. The volcanic ash does not have any water but can absorb water from the Trade Winds in the area.
How does that help the grapevines? It helps as the vines are planted in a unique way. A circular pit is dug down to the original soil beneath the volcanic ash. The grapevine is planted in the original soil. Now the pit acts like a funnel, so any moisture, either from the minimal rain, or the moisture pulled from the Trade Winds is absorbed into the ash and it will slowly make its way downslope to the vine. Very ingenious. These pits also help protect the vines from the winds so that the vines do not dry out.
Bodega Los Bermejos
Bodega Los Bermejos was originally founded in the 18th century and by the 20th century it was exporting wine to the United States, but then for some reason shut down. The winery was re-started in 1920 by the Bello family and they produced small quantities of wines till 2001 when the winery was purchased by winemaker Ignacio Valdera and entrepreneur Carmelo Gonzalez. They differentiated with a special bottle design, that they originally imported from Italy. The bottle shape really is quite beautiful and stands out from other wine bottles. They produce wine from the Malvasia Volcanica, Listan Negro, Moscatel, and Diego grape varieties. All vineyard work is done by hand.
When the wines are finished fermentation and ageing, they are not bottled until there is an order for them. This leaves the wines to sit on their lees for extended periods of time which adds an autolytic component to the wine and add to the wine’s mouthfeel. How interesting! The current owners started off production at 40,000 bottles but now produce 400,000 bottles. That may sound like a lot of wine, but most of the wine is consumed locally. Canada is allocated a little over 1,200 bottles a year from the winery. These wines are very unique and precious.
Wine Grapes of the Canary Island
Bodega Los Bermejos grows a few grape varieties, but the two main varieties are Malvasia Volcanica, a white grape, and Listan Negro, a red grape. The grapes are grown on their own rootstalk as the phylloxera louse cannot live in the volcanic ash. Which means that some of the vines can be very old. We were told that the winery’s oldest vines were 200 years in age. As mentioned these vines are planted in these circular pits, which are about 3m across, so you do not get high-density planting like most other places in the world. One vine produces about enough grapes to make one bottle of wine. They plant 600 vines per hectare, so you get 600 bottles of wine in that area. A very low production volume.
75% of Bodega Los Bermejos’ grapes planted are Malvasia Volcanica. This grape belongs to the overall group of grapes called Malvasia. This grape is only found on the island of Lanzarote where the winery is located. It is a little less aromatic than the well-known Malvasia Aromatica grape, but it makes up for that with more weight and texture in your mouth.
Listan Negro is the most important red grape grown in the Canary Islands and covers about 20% of all grapevine plantings. This grape is very suitable for fermentation via carbonic maceration, the same process used for Gamay Noir grapes to make Beaujolais Nouveaux.
As the climate is very dry and hot on Lanzarote, organic vineyard principles are easily followed. The winery made its first officially certified organic wine in 2003. The fermentation of the grapes uses the indigenous yeasts found on the grapes.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Bodega Los Bermejos Malvasia Brut Nature 2019 – Made from 100% Malvasia Volcanica grapes using the Traditional Methode Champenoise. Of note is that the second fermentation is done using fresh must of Malvasia Volcanica instead of sugar. Aged for 18 months. This wine has a medium intensity bright lemon colour and shows a light bubble in the glass. Light aromas of lees, lemon, orange, and peaches. Dry, high acidity, and lighter body. Bright lemon and crisp apple flavours to start then add crab apple and a touch of pepperiness toward the finish. Light lees flavour as well. Small creamy bubble and enjoyable texture. 
Bodega Los Bermejos Malvasia Seco 2021 – Also made from 100% Malvasia Volcanica grapes. Whole cluster pressed and fermented followed by malolactic fermented then matured on their lees. A medium-minus intensity bright lemon colour. Quite aromatic! Pine needles and peach with lesser amounts of lemon and grape stem. Dry medium body with a silky, thick, round texture. Fresh lemon and peach flavours along with minerality. Medium length.
Bodega Los Bermejos Listan Negro MC 2021 – Made from 100% Listan Negro grape. This wine is made starting with carbonic maceration, followed by malolactic fermentation. All done in stainless steel tanks. This wine has a medium-minus translucent to the core cherry red colour. It’s very aromatic. Juicy bramble berries, raspberries, miscellaneous wild herbal notes and some VOC. Dry, lean with a lighter body. Bramble berries, raspberries and some VOC on the palate. Plus a touch of pepperiness and juicy berry flavour at the very end. Medium acidity and tannins. Tannins are not too firm or drying. 
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Bodega Los Bermejos Listan Negro Tradicional 2021 – Made from 100% Listan Negro grape, but this wine goes through a traditional maceration process and is aged for 5 months in French oak barrels. It has a deep, clear garnet colour. Medium intensity aromas of capsicum, red fruit, oak, and a touch of sweet spices. Medium body, smooth, round and soft mouthfeel. Medium acidity and fine tannins. Red cherry flavour with red fruit mid-palate and a touch of vanilla and cocoa toward the finish. The tannins do firm up a bit on the finish. –
A Memorable Food and Wine Pairing
We did have lunch so that we could try the wines and food together. My favourite pairing was the Butternut Squash Soup with Maple Creme Fraiche and Rosemary Pumpkin Seed Brittle with the Bodega Los Bermejos Malvasia Brut Nature 2019 sparkling wine. The soup was very rich and creamy, and the sparkling wine added acidity and sparkling lift to the dish. A memorable pairing.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
There are very few bottles left at BC Liquor stores, but these two links will show you where you can buy some of the remaining bottles of this allocation. The next allocation of wines is arriving in the middle of May.
Thank you to World Wine Synergy Inc for inviting me to this seminar. Thank you to Collective Goods Bistro & Grocer on 3532 Commercial Street for hosting this event and serving us lunch.
