Established in Fuencaliente in 1945, this is the largest cooperative on the island of La Palma. It presently produces around 300,000 bottles in three different ranges.
Teneguía is the main brand. Grapes for this range are sourced from 208 hectares of vineyards tended by 300 wine growers on the island’s three main areas: Norte (north), Hoyo de Mazo in the east and Fuencaliente to the west and south. Land ownership is very fragmented which means that there are over 1,000 plots with an average size of less than 2,000 square meters. The Teneguía range includes several whites, reds and a rosé, all of them blends of indigenous grapes except in the case of Zeus Negramoll, a sweet red wine (around €12 at the winery’s online store).
Particularly noteworthy is the range of Teneguía Malvasía wines from Fuencaliente. There is a dry version (about €19 on the producer’s website), but the other two are late-harvest, naturally sweet wines with no added alcohol: the young Malvasía costs around €21 and the Reserva, which is aged in oak is sold for about €45. The rare Malvasía Aromática Estelar (€120), which includes batches of grapes affected by botrytis, is aged for 180 months in oak barrels.
The second brand, likely to appeal to wine lovers, is Llanos Negros. Grapes are sourced from vineyards grown on the slopes of the San Antonio volcano in Fuencaliente between 300 and 400 metres above sea level. Facing south-west, the wind doesn’t usually blow on this part of the island. For Llanovid, this is their grand cru. The soils of the area’s steep slopes (10% gradient) are covered with volcanic ash and have little access to water so each plant occupies around 10 to 15 square meters. They cover a grand total of 11 hectares spread over 74 plots owned by 54 winegrowers. Only 20,000 bottles are produced, distributed in several wines named after specific plots. However, given that many different grape varieties are planted in the same vineyard, most of the wines are field blends.
The wines stand out for their warm character, sulphur notes and markedly saline finish. Acidity is higher than expected in an area with plenty of sunshine and an absence of trade winds. The volcanic ash, locally called “picón”, covers the surface up between one to five centimetres. In order to plant vines, wine growers have to reach the loamy-sandy soil underneath. This is such a laborious work that the traditional“mugron” or “acodo” technique -burying an adjacent vine branch to create a new plant- is increasingly being used.
The range Llanos Negros includes La Time, a 100% Listán Blanco macerated with its skins and fermented and aged in concrete tanks; Los Tabaqueros, a blend of Sabro, Malvasía, Vijariego and Listán Blanco fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks; La Tablada, made with Gual and Sabro, partially macerated with its skins and fermented in stainless steel tanks and later in barrels; and the ultra-saline La Batista which is similarly vinified except for the skin maceration. There is also a 100% red Negramoll and a naturally sweet Malvasía made with the oldest vines in the area and aged in 500-litre oak barrels for 12 months. Most of these wines are sold for around €20.
Lastly, Mission’s Grapes is a 100% Listán Negro. Grapes are sourced from a plot called El Rayo in Puntagorda, close to the Astrophysical Observatory, north of La Palma. Located at an eleavation of 1,400 metres, this is one of the highest vineyards in the island and it often lies above the clouds. This means that grapes here can ripen earlier than in other low-lying vineyards. The style of this red is light, fresh and herbal.
