28 April 2017
La Geria: Lanzarote’s Volcanic Vineyards
Settled only three thousand years ago, the island's volcano could still erupt again.
Although the last major eruptions started in 1730 over a period of six whole years and the volcano has been dormant since 1824, even today agricultural exploitation of the island is a difficult process.
Yet in the La Geria region of the island, farmers have come up with an ingenious way to grow their grapes.
The result is a landscape both familiar and alien. Vineyards are a sight with which most are at least acquainted but this Lanzarote (one of the Canary Islands) vista is truly something to behold. If there are vineyards on Star Trek’s planet Vulcan, then it is easy to imagine them looking something like this.
Once the grapes are ready for harvest the help of one of Lanzarote’s many camels is enlisted. As the paths around the pits are not wide and crumble very quickly a single person is allotted to harvest each vine pit. Even then climbing in to the pit must be done as carefully as possible so as not to disturb the lapilli.
Next comes picking the grapes. A single large bucket and two trips normally do the trick as each vine yields around thirty kilos (close to seventy pounds) of grapes. It is truly uncomfortable, painstaking work; the heat in the pits can rise to 50˚C.
Once harvested, the process of wine-making can begin. The grapes are taken from their stems, pressed and then filtered and finally the resulting juice can be fermented. The process of fermentation can last up to two years but even so the wine is considered ‘young’.
Unsurprisingly, the vineyards of La Geria constitute a protected area. It may be surprising that a wine can be produced in such an arid, volcanic area but it just goes to show what an inventive and resourceful species we can be. Where there is a will, there is always a way.
First Image Credit Flickr User Gerd.Everman
