Juan Francisco Fariña Peréz (known as JuanFra to his friends) is a progressive winemaker in the Valle de Güímar, a small DO along the eastern coast of Tenerife. JuanFra has been making wine in the area since the early 2000s, and has some of the most respectful views on farming and winemaking in the area.
Güímar is an area known for white wines, typically made with Listán Blanco, the ubiquitous white grape of the Canary Islands. It received DO status in 1996 and currently consists of 12 wineries. Ranging from 100 to 1400 meters in elevation up the slope of Las Cañadas del Teide, it includes some of the highest elevation vines in all of Europe. Trade winds coming off the Atlantic help to keep temperatures moderate (these are known as the Alisos winds), rainfall is minimal and sunshine abounds. JuanFra’s winery is located within the center of the DO, in the town of Arafo at 700-800m elevation, and most of his vines are in the surrounding area.
Juan Francisco studied winemaking in Tenerife before taking over the vineyards from his father in 1998. He grows Listán Blanco and Albillo Criollo outside his winery in Arafo. In addition to these two plots, he is also working on recuperating old and abandoned vineyards higher up the mountainside in an area called Las Dehesas. At 1400m elevation, these centenarian Listán Blanco vines are only reachable by a special tractor. These vines are very low yielding and go into one of JuanFra’s most interesting wines, a solera method blanco named “La Bota de Mateo,” aged in an old sherry cask. Juanfra calls his project Los Loros, after the laurel shrubs that proliferate the upper parts of the Valle de Güímar. Conventional farming is typical in this area of the island, however Juanfra believes in a more holistic style of farming. Favoring a sustainable philosophy, he enjoys showcasing traditional Canarian varietals such as Listán Blanco, Vijariego Blanco, Marmajuelo, Albillo Criollo (no relation to the albillos found on the Peninsula, but a typical varietal found primarily on the island of La Palma) and Listán Negro. He owns most of his own vines, and also works with small farmers in the area, promoting sustainable practices among them. The Los Loros bodega is no bigger than a one car garage, yet Juan Francisco is doing great things in this little-known territory of Tenerife.
The Wines
Los Loros Listán Blanco is 100% Listán Blanco from two parcels of 30-40-year-old vines at 650-750m elevation. The soils are volcanic sand and clay. The grapes were hand harvested, destemmed, and gently pressed with a pneumatic pressed. Fermented in stainless steel tank for 10-12 days with temperature control, then raised in the same vessel with the lees for 6 months with infrequent, gentle stirring. Bottled without fining, filtering, or added sulfur. Los Loros Albillo Criollo comes from young vines grown on terraces high on the island. The grapes were hand-harvested, destemmed and gently pressed after a short cold maceration. The wine spent a few months in used French oak barrels on the lees, with semi-regular stirring. The finished wine is bottled with a light fining but no filtration, and a tiny dose of SO2.
Los Loros “Siete Lomas” is a blend of 80% Marmajuelo and 20% Gual, two indegenous grapes to the Canary Islands. The grapes are cofermented and aged in gently used oak barrels and the wine spends a few months on the lees with regular stirring before being bottled without fining or filtration and a touch of added SO2.
Los Loros Moscatel comes from 20-25-year-old vines Muscat of Alexandria vines close to the sea near Arafo. The grapes were destemmed, then fermented with their skins for 14 days. The wine was then pressed into 300L used French oak barrels to rest on its lees for 7 months, with stirring for the first 2 months. The finished wine was bottled without fining or filtering and with only a very small addition of SO2.
Los Loros Vijariego Blanco comes from young vines of Vijariego Blanco (sometimes known as Diego) planted on volcanic sand and limestone at 600m above sea level near Arafo. The grapes were destemmed and macerate on their skins for a bout two weeks during fermentation, then rested in stainless steel tank for 10 months. The finished wine was bottled without fining or filtration or addition of SO2.
Los Loros "La Bota de Mateo" cuvée comes from centenarian pie franco Listán Blanco vines grown on terraces at 1300m elevation. The juice is racked into an old 500L Manzanilla cask (bota) for spontaneous fermentation and aging on fine lees for 13 months. This wine is a perpetual reserve, and JuanFra will take a small “saca” each year while adding that vintage’s wine to the barrel. The finished wine was bottled without fining or filtration, and only modest amounts of SO2.
Los Loros Listán Negro comes from 40-50-year-old Listán Negro vines at 700-1300m above sea level near Arafo. The wine is foot-trodden whole cluster before being spontaneously fermented and then aged in used French oak barrels for several months before being bottled without fining or filtration or sulfur addition.
