A sustainable future for traditional winemaking in La Geria

Wine is one of the oldest cultural goods and is very strong connected to the people in many parts of Europe. Wine is much more than a luxury good. It reflects the fundamentals of climate, soil and traditions of a region. Therefore, the aim of organic wine making is to produce wine in harmony with nature and local traditions.

The volcanic eruption on Lanzarote between 1730 and 1736 covered the island with a thick layer of lava and ash and changed the landscape of La Geria (5,255.4 acre) substantially. After years of struggle, residents learned to cultivate the land and rebuild their lives. Traditional cultivation of grapes on Lanzarote involves planting the vines in pits filled with ‘pícon’—small lava stones that hold moisture well. To protect the vines from the wind, semicircles of larger lava stones are constructed. La Geria’s unique landscape boasts over ten thousand pits and circular walls. These authentic local wine production techniques are very labor-intensive and not cost efficient by modern standards. Farmers are therefore abandoning the land and La Geria is slowly falling into neglect and losing its cultural heritage.

On the other hand Lanzarote is a popular holiday destination due to its favorable climate conditions and its unique natural and cultural landscape. About 3 million tourists are visiting the island every year.

Tourism shall be used as an opportunity to preserve the unique volcanic scenery of La Geria as well as to protect the nature and culture of the island by opening up new distribution channels for local wine producers and farmers.

Project goals:

Overall aim: Enhancing local livelihoods on Lanzarote through tourism by preserving the cultural heritage of winemaking and driving (sustainable) local sourcing.

A group of min. 15 wine growers benefit from trainings and individual guidance in organic farming methods (according to EU standards). The progress will be monitored on a regular basis. Organic wine production, on the one hand, protects the natural resources of La Geria and creates a high-quality product as artificial fertilizers and pesticides are not used. In addition, the traditional cultivation in pits is supported and thus the cultural asset of La Geria is preserved.
20 people with disabilities are integrated in farm work in a sustainable manner that enables the organization Grevislan to offer permanent jobs to people with disabilities (as part of the exit strategy).
In order to open up new distribution channels for the organic wines hotel staff of min. 3 hotels are trained in local wine growing history and the local and cultural characters of La Geria’s wine growing landscape. They also learn how to present organic wines to their guests in order to support the sale of local products.
Wine events in hotels allow the guests to taste local wines and learn interesting background information about their holiday destination and the local way of wine growing. In addition interactive, sustainable excursions to the vineyards are designed in which the guests visit the participating bodegas and taste the local organic wines.

Project goals in a nutshell:

Supporting the ecological viticulture to preserve the natural resources and the cultural heritage of the island.
Giving people with disadvantaged backgrounds the chance to make a living on their own.
Strengthening local added value through new linkages between local producers and the local tourism sector.
Enhancing visitors’ experience to the island and the uniqueness of its cultural heritage by designing interactive wine tasting events and sustainable excursions.

News about this project

21/06/2022

Tasting events and farmer's seminar on Lanzarote

The joint project of Futouris and the TUI Care Foundation on Lanzarote has been successfully completed with wine tastings in the participating hotels and an eco-course for farmers. Within the framework of the project, various wines produced traditionally and with organically grown grapes have been created, which are brought closer to the interested holidaymakers during the wine tastings as well as on an exclusive excursion.

21/09/2021

Free online workshop series "Sustainable Tourism for the Future" for Spanish-speaking hotels

As part of their joint project on Lanzarote Futouris and the TUI Care Foundation invite all interested hotels to a free online workshop series for sustainable tourism. The workshops support Spanish-speaking hotels to become ambassadors for their region by integrating and promoting local and sustainable products, thus providing holidaymakers with authentic experiences.

28/04/2020

Hopes and dreams of Raúl Ortega, a farmer in Lanzarote

Why have the winegrowers joined our project? What are their hopes and dreams? What are the biggest challenges? On behalf of all participating farmers we have asked these and similar questions farmer Raúl Ortega, who bought a finca on Lanzarote and has been participating in the project since this year.

17/12/2019

Encouraging interim results in La Geria

At the end of November the participants of our joint project with the TUI Care Foundation came together on Lanzarote to exchange the interim results and previous experiences and to discuss the next steps. Representatives of the local tourism organization and hotel association were also present.

05/09/2019

How wine is made: The journey from grape to wine

During August and September farmers and winemakers in Lanzarote are very busy, as it is "la vendimia" - grape harvest. Our ecologically and traditionally produced project wine is becoming more popular. But how is our delicious wine made? Learn about the various steps involved, from the grape harvest to the fermentation and bottling.

11/07/2019

Holidaymakers are impressed by sustainable project wines produced in La Geria

In order to increase the awareness and sales of the organic project wines guests can taste them in evening wine tastings in the participating hotels. Representative of the bodegas also give interesting information about the production and the different type of wines. The wine tastings are very popular among guests and project participants alike.

08/05/2019

New finca in La Geria has been successfully restored

The joint project of TUI Care Foundation and Futouris in Lanzarote is operating very successfully. Another winegrower is participating in this project since the beginning of this year and is growing his grapes in an ecological and traditional way. However, first his finca was restored and prepared for the coming season with the support of the local organization Grevislan.

05/04/2019

First organic project wines and a sustainable excursion available in Lanzarote

Last year the first organic wines were produced within the common project “A sustainable future for traditional winemaking in La Geria” of TUI Care Foundation and Futouris. Guests can now experience the world of sustainable and traditional winemaking on Lanzarote during a sustainable excursion offered by TUI.

Donate now