Viñátigo Listán Negro

For decades, Juan Jesús Méndez has been the driving force behind the Canary Island's grapes revival, tracking down and rescuing the archipelago' forgotten grape varieties. Viñátigo's wines are his living archive.

This wine is one of its most compelling chapters. Listán Negro is Canary Island's own—a grape born from a natural crossing of Listán Blanco and Negramoll, varieties brought by Portuguese and Andalusian settlers centuries ago. It’s not just history in a glass; it’s a natural, botanical evolution you can taste.

Viñátigo coaxes this story from the wind-scoured midlands of northern Tenerife, where volcanic soil and Atlantic gusts shape every cluster. Hand-harvested and aged just three months in neutral barrels, this wine isn’t made—it’s simply allowed to be.

And what emerges is pure northern island energy: a juicy, vibrant red that smells of freshly cracked black pepper, the scent left on your hands after picking figs on a summer evening and the deep, jammy smell of crushed blackberries. Then comes the strike of volcanic flint—that electric, stony spark that cracks through the fruit like rock meeting rock.

This is wine for unscripted moments: a sprawl of charcuterie among friends, fried rabbit gleaming with mojo rojo, or stew simmering on the stove. It doesn’t need ceremony—just a glass and someone to share it with.