Welcome to what they call the vineyard of the impossible, where low latitudes, almost desert-like climate with scarce rainfall, constant trade winds, and the impossibility of mechanizing processes make winemaking in this corner of Lanzarote almost a miracle every year. Welcome to El Grifo, the iconic family winery that, despite this complexity, is about to celebrate 250 years of successful winemaking, being a reference on the island, in the Canary Islands, and in Europe for innovation, development, and sustainability.
In fact, few wineries have dared to "experiment" with wines as El Grifo has throughout its history, taking risks and focusing on products for daring palates, like the 2022 vintage of its unique El Grifo Moscatel Orange Wine, of which only 2,000 bottles exist, or El Grifo Rosado de Lágrima, one of the most anticipated references each year that sells out almost immediately.
Founded in 1775 (the oldest in the Canary Islands and among the 10 oldest in Spain), the winery, located in the La Geria valley in the center of the Canary Island in a memorable setting surrounded by volcanoes and lava tongues, has long been one of the biggest tourist attractions in Lanzarote and a must-visit for wine tourism enthusiasts. Thousands of visitors come to El Grifo each year not only to see firsthand how the miraculous wine is made each harvest but also to enjoy the spectacular volcanic landscape, its beautiful cactus garden, the Wine Museum, designed by the Spanish artist César Manrique, walks among the vineyards and fruit trees, or a snack accompanied by wine in their newly opened wine bar or even inside one of the century-old "chavocos"scattered around the estate (holes in the volcanic soil where the vines are planted to capture and retain water and moisture). Renowned chefs like Subijana, Arzak, or Arguiñano have succumbed to its charms and have been "impressed" when visiting the facilities, as told by the winery.
For the past three years, El Grifo, which used to receive around 80,000 annual visits, has shifted its wine tourism offering to be more exclusive and personalized to avoid overcrowding. This has led to a reduction in the number of visitors to around 20,000 annually. "We have changed our philosophy and no longer open on weekends, nor do we accept tourist buses because we are not prepared or equipped for that. We want people who are genuinely interested to visit us, so we offer more selective, higher-quality tours; we have associated hotels that send us more interested visitors, and we are much more satisfied with this approach," says Fermín Otamendi, the current owner of the winery, belonging to the fourth generation of the family saga.
Currently, the winery offers four types of experiences for wine enthusiasts, including tours of the vineyards on the slopes of an extinct volcano walks through the "chavocos", visits to the original winery and the old family house with a unique library, inaugurated by the poet José Hierro and confirmed by the Nobel Prize winner José Saramago.
The tour also includes the modern winery. With about 60 hectares of its own vineyards, in addition to the production from over 200 small winegrowers, it has had industrial facilities since the 1980s that include stainless steel tanks. However, the old wine complex is the most visited and emblematic space of the winery, now transformed into the Wine Museum under the guidance of the late Lanzarote sculptor César Manrique, a longtime family friend. Here, visitors can see all the machines and tools used by the winery from the beginning until the mid-20th century. A gem that leaves no one indifferent, where Manrique's opinion was decisive in advising them on how to maintain it and what needed to be done.
The experiences (lasting two hours) naturally end with a wine tasting of several wines from the brand, which offers 28 varieties, including, in addition to the Orange and Rosado mentioned earlier, the Malvasía Seco Colección, one of the great white wines of the Canary Islands with the highest production (around 140,000 bottles) from the winery, the Malvasía Lías, or the sparkling Ancestral ecological 2023 El Grifo, of which just over 2,800 bottles have been produced.
One of El Grifo's recent ventures is its wine bar, a modern design space with two terraces inaugurated in February where visitors can taste each of the winery's offerings. Located in what used to be the place where camels rested (the hooks where these animals were tied can still be seen), the small dining area offers locally sourced gastronomy. The menu, with only eight options, includes typical local cold tapas from the islands, such as a platter of different Canarian cheeses accompanied by guava marmelade, salt-cured tuna, Teror chorizo toast, or tomato and tuna belly
One of the winery's hallmarks is its commitment to being at the forefront and its focus on innovation. Forty years ago, they started harvesting in July, surprising the island's winemakers to achieve smoother wines with less alcohol. They have also been pioneers in advising and monitoring the quality of the vineyards from which they purchase grapes. "Since there is no option to expand the land because it is what it is, the goal is quality. Here, a kilo of grapes is paid more than in other places, between 3.60 and 3.90 euros, prices almost like champagne... but to pay that, the grapes have to be perfect, and that's why we advise and help them," says Otamendi.
Another pioneering and revolutionary initiative was winter harvesting, which began three years ago to observe the effects of climate change. They decided to experiment by pruning the plants in September to harvest the grapes at the end of February. It was the first time something like this was done in all of Europe, and the experience was very positive. "Initially, we did it in a field very close to the sea, and the wine that came out was surprisingly good. Here, we cannot increase altitude, as is happening on the Peninsula due to rising temperatures, so we decided to advance the harvest," says Elisa Ludeña, El Grifo's winemaker. The third vintage of this wine, El Grifo Winter Harvest Malvasía Volcánica 2023, made from grapes from other plots, is about to be commercialized, with 2,000 liters produced. "We still have few plants dedicated to this," says Ludeña.
Anniversary
In 2025, El Grifo celebrates its 250th anniversary and the winery is already preparing to commemorate this milestone. The kickoff of the celebrations will be the launch of a limited edition of the Rosado wine in collaboration with Alava Brand, a renowned sustainable fashion brand from Lanzarote, which will include a scarf inspired by that wine and will be distributed alongside the bottle. Another initiative will be the release of the 250th-anniversary wine, with a special label designed by the versatile Lanzarote artist Ildefonso Aguilar. The vintage will be Lías 2018, and only about 15,000 bottles will be produced, according to Otamendi. "It was a fresh vintage, and we thought it was a representative wine of our winery. It is a Malvasia, the most characteristic grape of the island and also a wine for aging, and we believed it was suitable for the occasion."
This will join other limited edition bottles that the winery has released over the years, such as José Hierro Malvasía with skins 2021, in tribute to the centenary of the birth of the poet José Hierro, or the Malvasía de César, a tribute to the painter, sculptor, and architect César Manrique, or their limited edition of Red Wine Saramago El Grifo, endorsed by the famous Portuguese writer José Saramago for the winery's 225th anniversary.