Lanzarote and Cape Verde's volcanic wines

The first thing we're taught when studying viticulture is that vines thrive between 30 and 50 degrees of latitude. This is a "sweet spot" band that sits around the earth in both the northern and southern hemispheres, taking in most of Europe and the USA, and the southern parts of South America, South Africa and Southern Australasia.

There are always exceptions - English and Welsh vineyards can be found between 51 and 54 degrees, whilst at the other end of the scale the Canary Islands sit at 29 degrees, and even further south is Cape Verde at 16 degrees. So how can these outliers still produce great wines?

I've been lucky enough to visit Lanzarote and Cape Verde in 2025 to find out more.

In Lanzarote, knowledgeable Dan (from Wine Tours Lanzarote) took us to 3 contrasting wineries - the artisan Bodega Vulcano where husband and wife team have gradually developed a small scale wine production also arts and handicrafts.

We were taken into the vineyard where the vines grow in individual hand dug pits, with small walls protecting them from the ever present winds.

The roots (taken from cuttings, not grafted onto American rootstock as there's no phylloxera here) are sown into the soils and covered with volcanic top soil. Due to the climate, fruit was already forming and harvesting will start around July.

We tried their fresh young blanco wine and a rosé that could pass for a light red. There was salinity coming through from both given the proximity to the ocean.

Next stop was Bodega Stratvs - a larger concern with its classy restaurant and vast shop!

We took a short visit to their vines where we appreciated the back breaking efforts of hand picking the grapes when all the bunches are at shin height.

We then sat on their pleasant terrace and enjoyed an easy drinking Malvasia Volcánica white, and a Syrah / Tempranillo/ cab sav blend. Both were delicious and enjoyed with local goats cheese.

Our final stop was close by, the well established Bodegas Rubicon where some of the old lagares were in situ, along with wooden presses.

We tried their Malvasia volcánica (called Amalia after their granddaughter), which had spent some time aging on its lees, and a woody red that was quite tannic and reminiscent of a dusty Bordeaux!

Only 5% of Lanzarote wine is exported so I doubt that we'll see it in any of our supermarkets (nor even perhaps The Wine Society ) any time soon. However Wine Tours Lanzarote are building up an online shop where local wines can be shipped to the UK - huzza!

Cape Verde

Earlier in the year I was lucky enough to spend a week in Cape Verde, which is made up of ten islands in the Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal and 2 hours flight south of the Canary Islands.

They have 350 days of sunshine and barely any rain nor diurnal range so I was amazed to discover they could make wine.

They have vines on one of the islands - Fogo (Portuguese for "fire") - where the active volcano gives higher altitude (thus cooler air and cooler nights, but warm soil) and also fertile, nutrient rich terroir.

The wine making history here goes back to the early Portuguese explorers and common grapes are muscat, cabernet sauvignon, touriga national and tempranillo.

We tried a white wine made from muscat. It was pleasantly fresh and tasted of crisp apple. It was 14% abv due to the warmer climate, and the acidity was about right to balance the alcohol.

Local cheeses enhanced the taste and roundness.

Next was a rosé made from Tempranillo. This had aromas of strawberry and rose, but the taste didn't deliver. It was the least favourite amongst the tasters in the room.

Unfortunately we weren't able to visit any vineyards, as the island of Fogo is off limits to ordinary tourists - even thirsty ones like me. But who knows, in the future, perhaps they'll spread their hospitality beyond the main tourist islands.