Valle de Güímar

Valle de Güímar is the south-eastern flank of Tenerife: a valley that climbs from the sea almost up to the peaks, with vines planted in ash and lava at altitudes you rarely see in Spain, some above 1,400 metres. It also lends its name to one of the island’s five appellations — though not everything made here is bottled under it: there are wines from the same valley, even the same municipality, that go out as DOP Islas Canarias. Same ground, different stamp.

The grape in charge here is ungrafted Listán Blanco, growing on old, low-yielding vines. It’s a corner less famous than La Orotava or Lanzarote, and that’s exactly why you can still stumble on wines that punch far above what they cost. Volcano, altitude and Atlantic: the Canarian formula, mountain edition.