El Hierro (DO) facts for kids
| Wine region | |
El Hierro DOP in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the region of Canary Islands
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| Official name | D.O.P. El Hierro |
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| Type | Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) |
| Year established | 1995 |
| Country | Spain |
| No. of vineyards | 126 hectares (311 acres) |
| No. of wineries | 9 |
| Wine produced | 1,735 hectolitres |
| Comments | Data for 2016 / 2017 |
El Hierro is a special area in Spain known for its unique wines. It is called a Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP). This means that all the wines from this area must follow strict rules. The El Hierro DOP covers the whole island of El Hierro. This island is the smallest and most western island of the Canary Islands. El Hierro got its special DOP status in 1995.
Contents
History of El Hierro Wines
The first vineyards on El Hierro were planted a long time ago. An Englishman named John Hill started them in the 1600s. The wine made here was used to create strong alcoholic drinks. These drinks were then sent to places like South America, especially Venezuela and Cuba.
For many centuries, sweet, strong wines from the Canary Islands were very popular. People in England called them "Canary Sack." Even the famous writer William Shakespeare mentioned it. In his play As You Like It, a character asks for a "cup of Canary." This shows how well-known these wines were back then.
Geography and Soils for Grapes
The vineyards in the El Hierro DOP grow on very poor soils. These soils are made of different things like clay, lime, marl, sand, and even volcanic ash. All of these soils come from volcanoes. For example, the area called El Golfo was formed by a huge, old volcano.
Even though the soils don't have many nutrients, they are good at holding water. This is important for the grapevines. About 200 hectares (490 acres) of land are used for growing grapes in this area.
The vineyards are often found on steep hills. Farmers build stone terraces to plant the vines on these slopes. The height of these vineyards changes a lot. Some are as low as 125 meters (about 410 feet) above sea level. Others are as high as 700 meters (about 2,300 feet) above sea level.
The main places where wine grapes are grown are Valle del Golfo, Echedo, and El Pinar.
Climate for Growing Grapes
The climate on El Hierro is very good for grapevines. The island gets a lot of sunshine, about 3,000 hours each year. Sea breezes also play a big part in how the grapes grow.
Generally, the weather is mild. It is quite dry near the sea. But it gets more humid higher up on the island. The amount of rain can be very different across the island. The east side might get about 150 mm (6 inches) of rain. The west side might get up to 400 mm (16 inches).
During the summer, special winds called trade winds blow. These winds bring a lot of moisture to the northeast part of the island. This is good for vineyards around Echedo. Even in summer, the highest temperatures usually stay below 28 °C (82 °F).
Types of Grapes Grown
Many different types of grapes are allowed to be grown in the El Hierro DOP. These grapes are used to make the special wines from the island.
- Red Grapes:
- Bastardo Negro
- Listán Negro
- Negramoll
- Tintilla
- Vijariego Negro
- White Grapes:
- Bastardo Blanco
- Bermejuela
- Burrablanca
- Gual
- Listán blanco de Canarias
- Malvasía Aromática
- Malvasía Volcánica
- Moscatel de Alejandría
- Pedro Ximénez
- Vijariego
Traditionally, grapevines were planted as low bushes. This style is called en vaso. But today, many new vineyards use a different method. They plant vines on wires or frames, which is called en espaldera (trellises). This helps the vines grow in a more organized way.
See also
In Spanish: El Hierro (vino) para niños
