Los Bermejos

Los Bermejos is a winery based on the island of Lanzarote, owned and run by the passionate winemaker Ignacio Valdera. Only 125 km from the African coastline, conditions here are extreme. The porous, black volcanic soils have extremely high drainage, lowering the water content of soils that are only nourished by a few inches of rain per year. The winds that blow from the Sahara desert and Atlantic Ocean are so fierce that each vine is planted in small holes or hoyos, and further protected with stone walls. The hoyos also allow the vines to more quickly reach the organic matter located beneath the top layer of solidified lava. Virtually no vegetation can survive such inhospitable soil; the region is more reminiscent of a lunar landscape than the lush traditional image of a vineyard. Not surprisingly, yields are very low, and all vineyard work is meticulously done by hand. Farming is done organically and the winery is in the process of certification. Ignacio occasionally supplements each crop with purchased fruit from growers who share his vision of sustainable viticulture.