This winery is situated right in the heart of La Geria, with views of Timanfaya National Park. In the natural setting of La Geria, with a surface area of 5255 hectares, sitting close to the Timanfaya Natural Park, we find ourselves in a landscape covered with a spectacular black layer of volcanic ash. The Priest of Femés wrote a story of how in 1730, the ground opened up and began to spit out fire, lava, and ash. The eruptions lasted from 1730 to 1736, and formed this inhospitable landscape.

Before the last Timanfaya eruptions, the landscape was farmland, used to cultivate crops and graze animals. Charged with this task were 6 or 7 family hamlets in the area, and all were buried by the lava. The farmer knew that there was fertile land beneath the volcanic ash, and as time went by he shifted, following his instinct for survival and adapting to the environment that surrounded him.

Moreover, he realised that the volcanic ash was playing a fundamental role in maintaining the vines: it allowed the moisture that fell in the night, and rainwater to pass, but stopped it from evaporating throughout the day. La Geria is characterised by vines cultivated in hollows in the volcanic ash, some of which are over 3 metres deep and over 8 metres in diameter. They are also surrounded by small semi-circular walls made from volcanic stone, which protects the vines from wind and, to a degree, stops sand from getting into the hollow. And you will notice that all the walls are facing the direction of the prevailing winds – north north-east, called the Alisio winds. Here the volcanic ash is known as ‘rofe’.

La Geria winery is one of Spain’s most visited wineries, with 300,000 visitors on average per year.

BODEGAS LA GERIA

Carretera de La Geria Km.19, La Geria, 35570 Yaiza,

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Islas Canarias.

Tel: +34 928 173 178 – +34 828 180 500

bodega@lageria.com

www.lageria.com