Yes — 1,300 meters, in the highest municipality in Spain, Vilaflor, on the island of Tenerife. That’s where I met Javier Linares, after putting the rental Aygo through some real suffering on the steep climbs and hairpin turns along the road leading to Teide, the volcano that dominates the island.
Bodegas Reverón is a family‑run winery founded in 1947. A story that began long ago, yet one that has preserved a deeply Canarian spirit. As Javier tells us, the soil and microclimate allow the winery to practice ecological viticulture. However, the lack of water in recent years has affected production.
In any case, the winery produces between 13 and 16 different labels, mostly destined — from what I understand — for the local market: seco, semiseco, semidulce, naturalmente dulce, vino joven, afrutado, crianza, and submarino.
The idea of an underwater aging “cage” in the middle of the ocean amazes me — as does the idea of a winery at 1,300 meters that manages to span from mountain to sea with such versatility.
With Javier, we taste a Listán Blanco — the most representative grape variety of this area — from century‑old vineyards: good acidity, mineral, and very pleasant on the palate. Then an Aromatic Malvasia in a limited edition, also very enjoyable, marked by citrus notes and a “typical” bouquet. And finally, a young red, 50% Syrah and 50% Tempranillo, full‑bodied enough to make us want to go to lunch.
As we sip, we ask Javier about market trends. It’s a market in transformation, shifting from a preference for semi‑sweet wines — known here as “afrutados” — toward their “seco” versions.
Thank you, Javi. Your Canarian spirit came through completely.
We would have loved to taste all your wines — but that will be a perfect excuse to come back and try everything else.
