Volcanic vineyard in the La Geria wine region of Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain

© Pol Albarrán/Getty Image

Sip, sip, hooray!. La Geria wine region, Lanzarote, Canary Islands

Surrounded by rugged, dark landscapes, La Geria is a marvel of viticulture. Most of the Spanish island of Lanzarote is treeless and covered with black-gray soil. This thick blanket of volcanic gravel is the result of a series of eruptions in the 1700s. By 1775, farmers started growing crops in the new layer of nutrient-rich soil. Volcanic soil absorbs and retains moisture, and the ash keeps its temperature favorable for growing grapes. The holes surrounded by stones you see in our image were dug to protect young grape plants from strong winds. La Geria's innovative approach to cultivation in an arid climate has been rewarded with its abundance of fine wine, fermented from Malvasia grapes.