Michael Candelario

Michael Candelario could’ve chosen a career in anything he wished to pursue. Thankfully for lovers of Canary Island wines, the 24-year-old was inspired by the breathtaking beauty of his native La Palma and opted to stay in the family business of agriculture and winegrowing.

The most northwesterly island of the Canary archipelago, La Palma is a wonderland of biodiversity and physical beauty, with a history of winegrowing that goes back to the 15th century during Spanish colonization. Lovingly nicknamed “La Isla Bonita”, the island possesses numerous micro-climates: deep valleys of densely planted subtropical forests, desert shrublands, and of course the more than 70 different types of palm trees that give the island its name. Agriculturally, La Palma is known for its bananas, tobacco, and old pre-phylloxera vineyards, especially the southern part of the island where the Malvasia Aromática grape grows on volcanic picón soils, producing intense and complex naturally sweet wines, fascinating relics of a viticultural yesteryear. While the sweet Malvasia wines are now more of a rarity, it is the northern side of the island that keeps the wines of La Palma in the modern conversation of curious wine drinkers. Northern La Palma is characterized by the giant Caldera de Taburiente and the persistent Atlantic-influenced Ylisios winds that bring moisture and freshness from the north – the same weather pattern which starts in the British Isles and affects western France, Spain and Portugal. Located near the town of Puntagorda, vineyards grow up above the cloud line to 1400 meters in elevation, clinging precipitously to the Caldera’s steep, verdant slopes and producing some of the most uniquely fresh and volcanic wines in the world.

Working amongst the clouds in Puntagorda is where you’ll find Michael Candelario. He is a 4th generation grape grower and the first to bottle wine under their family name. Born in 2000 and having grown up amongst the vines, he sees himself as the next generation caretaker for these unique high elevation vineyards. As a kid, Michael worked side-by-side with his family, and after graduating secondary school, he enrolled in Tenerife’s vitiviniculture school. It was around that time that he met Valle de Guimar vigneron Iñaki Garrido, a transplant from the Basque Country, who has been making a name for himself with his own high elevation, barrel-fermented Listan Blanco on the southeastern side of Tenerife. Besides Iñaki as a mentor, Michael also interned at the local La Palma cooperative and at a prominent local grower’s estate before returning home to make his own wines, with 2023 being his first vintage.

Currently, Michael farms two hectares organically, where some of the vines were planted by his great grandfather and others by Michael himself. He currently makes two wines – one white (a blend of Listan Blanco, Vijariego Blanco and Albillo Criollo) and one red (Negramoll, Listan Negro and Listan Prieto) while he learns more of the individual personality of each plot. For now, his philosophy is to keep things small, blending the different grape varieties and parcels, making a maximum of 500 cases without fining or filtration. From the outset, these are attention-grabbing wines on a world class level, and we are excited to see what the future holds for this young prodigy of La Palma.

The Wines

Location

General Info

Founded: 2023
Region: La Palma
Town: Puntagorda
Climate: Atlantic
Soils: Volcanic
Farming: Organic
Grower: Michael Candelario

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