Of the eight islands of the Canary archipelago, seven are home to wines that the world has celebrated for over 500 years.

It all began at the start of the 15th century when the European kingdoms, excited by the discovery of the Americas, decided to expand towards the Atlantic. After a century of disputes, the archipelago was finally in the hands of the Crown of Castile, although all the years of Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French influence were enough to shape Canarian culture forever. Viticulture is one of the most fascinating legacies of these various influences, marking the Canary Islands as the first wine-growing area of the New World.

Thanks to their unique wines, the Canary Islands became the commercial epicenter of the wine world in the 16th and 17th centuries until the Treaty of Methuen, signed between Portugal and England in 1703, changed the dynamic. By the end of the 19th century, the phylloxera plague would afford another opportunity to redress this, as it never reached the islands. As a result, the volcanic soils of the Canary Islands became a natural haven for extinct varieties in the world.

To learn more about the history of wine in the Canary Islands, be sure to read “The wine that perfumes blood. The Canary Wine in universal letters”, a book published by AVIBO – Management Body of the Canary Islands DOP.