The president of the Regulatory Council of the DOP Wines of Lanzarote, Jorge Rodríguez, announces a harvest of between 2.5 and 2.7 million kilos, significantly higher than last year, and advocates for the need for new plantations to ensure the future of the sector.
The wineries in Lanzarote have already begun to pick the first bunches of grapes for sparkling wines, and in ten to twelve days the bulk of the harvest will begin. The president of the Regulatory Council of the Protected Designation of Origin Wines of Lanzarote, Jorge Rodríguez, stated this Tuesday on the programme "A Buena Hora" on Crónicas Radio that forecasts point to a harvest of between 2.5 and 2.7 million kilos, well above last year's, which he described as "disastrous".
Quality and quantity: the year of recovery
Rodríguez explained that, although at the beginning of the 2026 campaign around 3 million kilos were estimated, an excessively wet spring caused minor issues with fungi in some areas, which forced adjustments to the forecasts. Nevertheless, the quality of the grapes is "very good" thanks to the plant having water, a good volume of grapes, and abundant foliage. "It has all the components for the grapes entering the winery to have a very good harvest," he affirmed.
The president of the Regulatory Council highlighted that this year "looks much better" than the previous one, when climatic problems drastically reduced production. Now, with accumulated rains and favourable vegetative development, the sector is confident that the coming weeks will be "perfect" for ripening, although he warned that attention must be paid to possible heatwaves or last-minute setbacks. "We have to keep our fingers crossed," he said.
New plantations, key for the future
One of the topics that generated the most interest in the recent presentation of the Special Plan for La Geria by the Cabildo was the possibility of expanding the vineyard area. Rodríguez emphasised that "it is vital that we continue to grow in the planting of new vines", both within and outside this protected space, as it is what allows for the production of grapes and, with them, wine. "Anything that contributes to growth in that sense is welcome," he added.
The head of the Regulatory Council assured that there is a willingness from all parties involved and that the available plots have no issues accommodating new plantations. In fact, he predicted that in the next three to four years new vineyards will emerge that will provide quality grapes and allow wineries to continue developing their activities. "People who are encouraged to make new plantations should keep it up," he encouraged.
The plight of the prickly pears in Mala and Guatiza
Rodríguez, a native of the area, also lamented the abandonment of the cochineal crop in Mala and Guatiza, where the prickly pear plants have disappeared in a few years, transforming the landscape into a "wasteland". "It is a shame, and we need to find a solution so that when visitors come and are in that area of the Cactus Garden and look towards the northern area, they do not see a desert but rather something of what that once representative crop of the island was," he pointed out.
To recover the prickly pears, the president of the Regulatory Council believes that it is necessary to bring in expert knowledge to prevent the plague that devastated the plantations. "If we bring in experts in the field who know how to prevent the plague from recurring, we could once again have a landscape full of prickly pears," he asserted. The challenge, he said, is to bring life back to a land that for centuries was a hallmark of Lanzarote.
For consumers, this year's good harvest will translate into a greater availability of wines from the DOP Lanzarote, with the quality and freshness that characterise the island's wines. Wineries are already working against the clock to harvest the grapes at their optimal point, and in a few weeks the definitive data of a harvest that promises to be historic will be known.
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