Wine History of the Canary Islands
The Guanches: One reference indicated that the Guanches might have been in the Canary Islands in the first millennium B.C. and were the first ones to inhabit the islands. About this time, the Phoenicians and Romas were pushing expansion limits all around the Mediterranean and up the Portugal coast, but there seems little evidence to support expansion beyond the Mediterranean and southward.
So, staying with the Guanches idea, there was a genome study done in 2017 that confirmed the population most closely related is the Berbers who lived about 60 miles away in what is now Morocco. There is documentation that a Genoese sailor named Lancelotto Malocello is credited with discovering the Canary Islands in 1312. It is funny, hmmm, to me since there were already people living there.
There really is little knowledge on the Guanches as a people group and culture. This detail seemed to stick though. On the island of Tenerife is the highest mountain of the islands, and actually it is the highest mountain in all of Spain. The Guanches believed that all the forces of evil were imprisoned in this mountain, and the devil, known as Guayota. Now if there is evil there must be an all-powerful, supreme, god, they named that god, Achamán. It was believed that Achamán locked Guayota inside the volcano.
1400s
In 1402, French explorer Jean de Béthencourt, in alliance with crusader Gadifer de la Salle, launched an expedition to the Canary Islands, landing forces on the smaller eastern islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Though French by nationality, they acted on behalf of King Henry III of Castile, who financed the journey in search of riches hidden in the uncharted Atlantic. Their troops swiftly subdued the native Guanches, raising the Castilian flag over both islands by the end of the year. Yet, the conquest of the remaining five islands would prove far more difficult and drawn out.
While the exact date of the first vine plantings in the Canaries is unknown, historical records mention the “Vineyard of Hannibal” in Fuerteventura between 1402 and 1412. This vineyard was owned by Hannibal, son of Gadifer de la Salle, and is considered the first documented vineyard in the islands.
By 1457, records indicate that grapevines had also been planted on Tenerife, marking the early spread of viticulture across the archipelago. The first vine varieties arrived with monks, explorers, conquistadors, merchants, and settlers who brought from the Iberian Peninsula and other parts of Europe after the islands were gradually brought under Spanish control in the 15th century.
The islands’ volcanic soils, though rugged, proved surprisingly fertile for grape cultivation. Over time, the combined influence of Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French settlers left a permanent imprint on Canarian culture particularly through viticulture. This legacy helped establish the Canary Islands as one of the earliest winegrowing regions tied to European exploration and colonization, effectively serving as a bridge between the Old and New Worlds in the history of wine.
The Treaty of Alcáçovas, signed in 1479, formally granted Spain control over the Canary Islands, while Portugal retained the Azores, Madeira, and Cape Verde. Still, full Spanish control over the islands took time. After intense fighting throughout the mid-1400s, Castilian forces seized La Gomera, Gran Canaria, and La Palma. The largest and most formidable island, Tenerife, remained independent until it was finally subdued in 1496.
By then, Garachico, founded in 1497 on Tenerife’s northwestern coast, had become a thriving port. Spearheaded by Cristóbal de Ponte, a Genoese financier, the town became a hub for both sugarcane and grapevine cultivation. However, as Spain expanded into the Americas, sugarcane production shifted to the new colonies, while the grapevines of the Canaries gained prominence, ushering in a golden age of island winemaking by the 16th century.
1500s
The 16th century became the golden age of Canarian wine. If you were in the City Vino July’s wine class, you would have learned that, next-door neighbor, Madeira also had its golden age of wine about this time too. Why? Looking at the Slave Trade Triangle. Both Madeira and the Canary Islands were agriculture islands growing wheat and sugar cane. But both were severely outdone by the Caribbean forcing an agriculture switch to viticulture.
Now Malvasia originally came from the island of Candia, which is modern-day Crete. Somehow, by machinations, it landed on Tenerife where it was vastly cultivated. Tenerife thus became the largest wine export, lasting well into the 18th Century they had that fame. If you had come to taste any of the Madeira, you would know how ridiculously lusciously sweet Malvasia can be made, because it has piercing acidity to balance it. In Madeira, Malvasia is called Malmsey. And perhaps because of proximity, the Canary Islands also called it Malmsey, sometimes Sack. It was meant for the aristocrats and royals; Queen Elizabeth I had become fond of “Canary Wine” during her reign. So strong a connection that Canary Wharf in London got its name from the shipping of Canary wines.
1600s
“Canary Wine” was legendary and highly sought after sweet table wine from Northern Europe to the Americas. Even Shakespeare mentioned the island’s wines in works like Twelfth Night, written around 1601, where Sir Toby Belch famously asks, “Oh knight, thou blessest a cup of canary: when did I see thee so put down?”
In the 1600s there was a slight slowing down of the wine industry. What marked the spot was an event known as the Staple Act of 1663. The law that would end the supply of Canary wine to the British Market which was the main customer. Port and Madeira wines from Portugal would replace Canary wines in British cups.
The port of Garachico was the gateway port for the Canary Islands with bustling activity of merchants from all over the world. But the British exporters, the Canary Company, insisted upon creating economic tensions with the local winegrowers. In 1666, it all came to a head. In an act of resistance, a group of masked individuals entered British warehouses and poured thousands of liters of Malvasia wine into the streets of Garachino. This was known as the “wine spill”. The issue was the British were acting like a monopoly imposing low prices and the winegrowers were not going to support being underpaid. It was noted as one of the strangest floods ever recorded in the annals of the world! (perhaps until the one in Portual a couple years ago)
1700s
The Guanches’ bad guy, Guayota (The devil from before), was all locked up for a millennia, all is well, right? You can just taunt that badness and nothing is going to happen because you trust the-all supreme Achamán is going to keep any harm from interfering with your life, right? Well, the Guanches fell into this trap for about 200 years leading up to 1706 when Achamán just had enough. Achamán decided to unleash Guayota from hell as the volcano erupted on May 5th, 1706. The lava flow swept down the mountainside and buried much of Garachico’s Port and destroyed what was then the island’s most important harbor for exports. I am thinking this was more the aim on the Spanish settlers by this point that Achamán was angry with as the Guanches were much smaller in numbers. It did force the Spaniard’s key harbor to move eastward to Puerto de la Cruz. Vines don’t come back from that kind of disaster the next year. The ruined agriculture base, ruined trade, rise of Portugal’s Madeira and Port, rise of Italy’s Marsala seemed to put Tenerife in economic ruins. Achamán we still love you, where did you go???
The global demand for Canary wine decline seemed to collapse the island’s industry. Boldly, El Grifo, the producer of July’s Wine Cru wine, was founded in 1775 and is today the oldest bodega in the Canary Islands. They are at the forefront of innovation defining what is the Canary Wines.
Perhaps a little bump up in demand happened between 1760 and 1780 with activity from the disgruntled American colonies. Coming to a head with the American Revolutionary War between 1775 and 1783. But let us break this down. There were Irish merchants in Tenerife that had ties to both the British and the colonial worlds. In favor of the Americans, the Irish merchants smuggled high value goods like wine into the Americans, bypassing the British controls. Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin and Robert Morris played a part here. Franklin, acting as a diplomat went on to France to securing financing. Morris was appointed Superintendent of Finance in 1781. Both men used Canary wine (especially Malvasia) as encouragement for funding as it was considered prestigious and valuable.
1800s
The 19th century brought hard times to the Canary Islands' wine industry. While the devastating phylloxera louse that swept through Europe’s vineyards in the late 1800s, it never took hold in the Canaries, thanks to the islands’ volcanic and sandy soils, which phylloxera cannot survive, other challenges emerged. Powdery and downy mildew inflicted significant damage on the vines, causing a sharp decline in production that never fully rebounded to pre-mildew levels.
At the same time, consumer interest in Canary Island wines began to wane, leaving the industry teetering on the brink. Despite these difficulties, small pockets of production endured, particularly on Tenerife, Lanzarote, and La Palma. A handful of bodegas continued crafting traditional Malmsey wines, known for their powerful floral, lychee, and apricot aromas, keeping the region’s legacy of sweet wine alive through a period of near collapse.
1900s
Throughout much of the 20th century, wine production in the Canary Islands was largely geared toward local consumption and the growing tourism industry. While the islands had a long and storied winemaking tradition, their wines were rarely seen beyond local markets or the tables of visiting travelers.
However, by the late 20th century, wines from mainland Spain began to dominate shelves, even on the islands themselves, creating stiff competition for local producers. This sparked a turning point. In response, a new generation of Canarian winemakers began to revive and modernize their viticultural practices, focusing on quality, indigenous grape varieties, and distinctive expressions of their volcanic terroir.
In 1985, the Canary Islands officially applied for Denominación de Origen (DO) status, Spain’s regulatory system for quality wine regions. This marked a significant step toward protecting and promoting their unique wine heritage. In 1992, the first DO Tacoronte-Acentejo, located in northern Tenerife, was granted, ushering in a modern renaissance for Canarian wine.
2000s
Since then, the region has gained recognition for both its ancient vines and innovative spirit, reconnecting with its legacy while carving out a new identity on the world stage. At present there are eleven DO regions. From ancient myths to modern wine bars, the Canary Islands continue to create a rich, complex story that spans continents, cultures, and centuries.
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