Canary Islands Wine History: From Sugar Hegemony to Malvasia Crisis

The History of Wine Production in the Canary Islands

The cultivation of the vine was established in the Canary Islands shortly after the conquest. However, until approximately 1550, the local economy and industry were primarily centered on sugar production. Wine, particularly Malvasia, was highly valued and considered an essential energy component for workers.

While Gran Canaria initially held the hegemony in sugar cultivation, the focus shifted. Today, Tenerife, La Palma, and Lanzarote are hegemonic in wine production. Vineyards are typically located in the midlands (Tenerife and La Palma) and along the coast (Lanzarote).

The Golden Age of Canary Wines (17th–18th Centuries)

The golden age for Canary wines spanned from the early seventeenth to the late eighteenth century. Vine cultivation was adapted to produce wine with minimal water, resulting in a high alcohol content. To achieve the desired red color, cochineal was often used.

Key Export Markets

• Britain
• America (The New World)
• Portugal

Production involved both small and large growers, utilizing methods such as leasing land or direct exploitation.

Crisis, Monopoly, and Decline

English families who settled in the Canary Islands established a monopoly, effectively controlling the export trade. This led to significant conflict between Canary Islands producers and English merchants. Although the selling price of the wine increased abroad, Canary producers often received the same stagnant price.

The industry suffered a major setback when the important port of Garachico was severely damaged (likely referring to the 1706 volcanic event), condemning Canary wines and blocking their access to European and American markets.

By 1680, the crisis became unsustainable. Canary wines began to be replaced by those from Madeira, and exports were sharply limited, resulting in only occasional shipments thereafter.

Economic Structures and Fiscal Tools

Taxation and Concessions

The islands benefited from the Canary Privilege, a historical right, primarily associated with the Basques, by which direct taxes were not paid.

Excises are indirect taxes (such as the IGIC—General Indirect Canary Islands Tax) charged on commodity trading. Both the Privilege and Excises are essential tools for the islands of the Crown, providing crucial tax concessions.

The *Medianero* System (Sharecropping)

The Medianero (mediator or sharecropper) was a defining productive character in the economic history of the islands, often related to the owner's family. The medianero was hired to work half of the land used for commercial production. In addition to working on export crops, they also cultivated their own subsistence plots leased by the owner. Their family often worked as servants to the employer's family.

The arrangement was structured so that the medianero provided the labor and family workforce, while the owner provided the land. The products were distributed, although the owner always received the largest share of the benefit.

The lease system extended beyond land cultivation, encompassing livestock, personal services, and other forms of work. There were even medianeros of the sea.