In 1977, D. Antonio Ramírez bought a small piece of land in the hills of La Lechuza (a small town on the island of Gran Canaria) known locally as “El Frontón”, where he planted some vegetables and vines for the family’s needs. In 1999 his two sons, Pedro and Antonio, decided to bottle some wine to sell locally. The vineyards are high-elevation– many above 1,000 meters– and in many cases on terraced slopes.
“Gran Canaria is one of the newest Canary Island DOs, established in 2000. It is an island-wide appellation that includes and replaces the former sub-appellation of Monte Lentiscal, which was granted in 1997. Gran Canaria is a sizable island with the second highest population after Tenerife. It is mostly known as a tourist destination, and the few interesting wines that are produced tend to be consumed locally. The landscape is dominated by a central, volcanic mountain which, like Teide on Tenerife, splits the island roughly in half. The southern end is quite warm and few quality wines are produced. The cooler north is more suited to fine wine, especially in the higher elevations, where vines are found up to 1,300 meters. The soils are a combination of volcanic material and chalk, with more sand along the lower slopes and more clay at altitude.
The island is most famous for its classic sweet wines made from Moscatel and Malvasía, but the dry wines are more interesting. Though rarely exported, it is sometimes possible to find the wines of Frontón de Oro, which produces a range of bouncy, fresh, and lightly oaked reds—both a varietal Listán Negro and a charming blend of Listán Prieto, Negro, and Tintilla. Listán Blanco is the most important white variety on the island, along with Marmajuelo and Malvasía.” – Kelli White, GuildSomm
