Valle de la Orotava is a Spanish
Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) for
wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...
s located on the north-western coastline of
Tenerife
Tenerife ( ; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands, an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. With a land area of and a population of 965,575 inhabitants as of A ...
, (
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...
,
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
), and acquired its DO in 1995.
History
This area was one of the first one planted to vines when the Canary Islands were occupied by Spain in the 15th century. The area given over to vines has diminished steadily over during the course of the 20th century due to increasing competition from banana plantations.
Geography
The vineyards are located on the fertile slopes of the
Teide, a volcano and extend down to the port of
Puerto de la Cruz. There are 671 ha registered with the DO.
The Valle de la Orotava (Orotava Valley) is not strictly speaking a valley at all, but the local name for the lower slopes of the Teide. The vineyards are at an average height of around 800 m above sea-level.
Soils
70% of the soil is volcanic, 20% clay and the remaining 10% is volcanic rock. The soils are light, permeable, rich in minerals and slightly acidic.
Climate
The climate is hot and humid due to the influence of the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
, with a high index of annual sunlight hours. Temperatures are high in summer and the vineyards are often shrouded in mist caused by the humidity bearing trade winds which blow all year round. This allows the vines to thrive though at times they are affected by sudden storms and strong gusts of wind.
Authorised Grape Varieties
The authorised grape varieties are:
* Red:
Castellana Negra,
Listán Negro / Almuñeco,
Malvasía Rosada,
Negramoll, and
Tintilla are preferred; also authorised are
Bastardo Negro / Baboso Negro,
Cabernet Sauvignon,
Listán Prieto,
Merlot,
Moscatel Negro,
Pinot Noir
Pinot noir (), also known as Pinot nero, is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name also refers to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French language, French words fo ...
,
Ruby Cabernet,
Syrah
Syrah (), also known as Shiraz, is a dark-skinned grape variety grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce red wine. In 1999, Syrah was found to be the offspring of two obscure grapes from southeastern France, Dureza and Mondeuse ...
,
Tempranillo, and
Vijariego Negro
* White:
Albillo,
Bermejuela / Marmajuelo,
Forastera Blanca,
Doradilla,
Gual,
Malvasía Volcánica,
Malvasía Aromática,
Moscatel de Alejandría,
Sabro,
Verdello,
Vijariego / Diego are preferred; also authorised are
Bastardo Blanco / Baboso Blanco,
Breval,
Burrablanca,
Listán Blanco,
Pedro Ximénez,
Torrontés
References
External links
D.O.P. Valle de la Orotava official website
{{Authority control
Wine regions of Spain
Appellations
Wine classification
Canary Islands cuisine
Tenerife