Two estates of five and six hectares, located in the municipalities of Güímar and Arafo, that years ago used to be the major dessert grape producers of the island (El Natero and La Hidalga), have been cultivated with the typical grape varieties of the Canary Islands by two entrepreneurs: economist Rodrigo Mesa and agricultural engineer Jorge Zerolo. And that is where they built a nursery in which they have carried out extensive research on their grapes.

“Homonymy can lead to the disappearance of a variety, because people assume that the same name means the same grape. But the Albillo grape from Monte Lentiscal in Gran Canaria, for example, is completely different to the Albillo Criollo and the Albillo Forastera from La Palma, and the latter, in turn, is similar to the Forastera Gomera,” explains Zerolo.

But Rodrigo and Jorge have not only researched and made their nursery available to other vintners, but have also “cultivated ungrafted unique varieties, rescued from the traditional Canary viticulture. Our terroir, the great Valle de Güímar, nourishes the vines with its rich in mineral ash volcanic soil.”

Jorge Zerolo y Rodrigo Mesa, vintners:
“Our terroir, the great Valle de Güímar, nourishes the vines with its rich in mineral ash volcanic soil”

Of course, their effort and dedication have resulted in even more: since 2003 they have been making their own wine with a range that stands out because of its personality and quality, admittedly trying to “surprise wine lovers” with very special creations, using Malvasia grapes, grape combinations (Marmajuelo, Moscatel, Verdello, Gual), Listán Negro, or Verijadiego Negro, which doesn’t mean that they don’t also make wines and experiment with varieties that are less traditional on the Island, such as Syrah, Tempranillo, or Merlot.

■ Arca de Vitis SL Calle Chinguaro 26, 38500 Güímar (Tenerife), Islas Canarias (España) Phone: (34) 922 512 552 Email: bodega@vinocontiempo.com Homepage: www.vinocontiempo.com ● Capacity: 50,000 liters. ● Average production: 30,000 bottles/year.