On the cheese and wine trail in the Canary Islands

A subtropical Spanish archipelago located off the northwest coast of Africa, the Canary Islands are best known for their year-round sunshine. Yet each island also has its own distinctive identity, deep-rooted customs and cuisine, shaped by the millennia of visitors and colonisers drawn to this strategic location in the Atlantic. This is best demonstrated in the archipelago’s wine and cheese offerings, which reflect each island’s natural landscapes and age-old traditions.

Any journey into Canarian viticulture should start on the largest island, Tenerife. Wine grapes here are grown using the cordón trenzado method, where vines are braided in long horizontal rows. Listan Negro is one of the most widely grown varieties, producing reds with black pepper and red fruit characteristics. Sample it with a tasting at the Casa del Vino in El Sauzal, or swing by La Recova market in the island’s capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, to grab a bottle from an independent wine shop.

East of Tenerife, Gran Canaria is famed for its cheese — namely Flor de Guía, which comes from a tiny town in the north of the island. It’s made using a base of 60% sheep’s milk, mixed with cow’s or goat’s milk and blended with thistle flower to produce a creamy cheese with a slight bitterness. Buy it at the municipal market in the old capital of Gáldar. And for a prime accompaniment? While around 70% of the wines on the island are red, keep your eyes peeled for Vijariego Blanco, a fresh white with bright, citrus notes. Vinófilos wine bar in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria offers a range of local bottles.

Further east still, you’d think that the arid, desert-like plains of Fuerteventura wouldn’t be able to sustain vines. However, the island has one commercial vineyard, Conatvs, which produces a bright rosé blend of Listán Prieto and Listán Negro grapes that’s full of ripe red fruits. And while grapes may be harder to find here, goats aren’t. The symbol of the island, the Majorero goat has been reared here for hundreds of years and its milk produces the wonderfully nutty-flavoured, officially protected, Majorero goat’s cheese. At Quesería La Casa del Queso Cabrera Pérez, you can make it yourself — milking the goats, pressing the cheese and enjoying a tasting session.

In contrast to Fuerteventura’s minimal vineyards, the soils of Lanzarote became the perfect place for vines following the volcanic eruption of the 1730s. Here, grapes are grown in deep pits or surrounded by stone walls to protect them from the strong winds and avoid evaporation, as the picón (volcanic ash) works well to maintain moisture. Look out for the classic Malvasia Volcánica, a fresh mineral white wine that’s characteristic of the island. Pair it with some semi-cured goat’s cheese from one of the stalls at the weekly Teguise market, or head to SeBE restaurant in Costa Teguise for an extensive local wine list and small plates.

In the west of the archipelago, La Palma enjoys similar verdant vegetation and rich volcanic soil. Make for the Casa Museo del Vino to learn about varieties such as Negramoll — an earthy red wine bursting with fruit flavours. The islands’ speciality, Queso Palmero (La Palma cheese) is often made with goat’s milk and in very large wheels. Though delicious by itself, it’s frequently used for baked or fried cheese dishes served with the iconic green and red mojo sauces and miel de palma (palm honey). Try it at classic Canarian Restaurante Chipi-Chipi in the island’s capital, Santa Cruz de la Palma.

Those that like to savour a richer flavour should head to El Hierro, the most southwestern Canary Island, where the local Herreño cheese is characterised by is distinctive smokiness. It’s made using mostly goat’s milk, mixed with cow’s and sheep’s milk and often smoked using wood from local fig trees and trunks of prickly pears, which give it a subtle tang and toast. Visit local cheese cooperative, Cooperativa de Quesos Herreños in Valverde to try and buy. Pair with Baboso Negro wine from the Tanajara winery — possibly the most southerly and westerly vineyard in Europe — which has black fruit and violet notes.

Goat’s cheese also holds great significance in La Gomera, another island with a deep history of shepherding. Try the often-tangy cheese as part of the classic Gomeran cheese paste almogrote, where it’s mixed with dried red peppers, garlic and olive oil. Pair with a local Forastera Blanca — a grape variety unique to La Gomera, which makes a fresh, dry white wine. For a final feast, head to the elegant Parador de La Gomera hotel restaurant for Canarian and Gomeran cuisine with spectacular views over the sea.