Borja Pérez Viticultor

Ever since he took charge of the family business back in 2011, Borja Pérez has had a clear idea of what he wants to base his Tenerife winemaking project on: volcanic soils, Atlantic climate, and local varieties. His wines are nimble on the palate, without excessive wood. They are the result of sustainable and biodynamic vine-growing aimed at bringing long forgotten or misunderstood local vines back to life.

Borja owns about 6 hectares of vines and also rents land from local farmers. He always uses local yeasts and works his vineyards separately, only using sulfites for bottling. Vinified and aged in foudres, barrels and, occasionally, cement, his winemaking often uses whole bunches and stems. His aim is clear: regain the excellence of Canary Island wines and let the minerality of the Tenerife soils and the trade winds do their work with the local traditional grape varieties.

Marmajuelo, Listan Negro, Vijariego and Baboso Negro grapes are becoming appreciated again thanks to projects like Borja's. As a fourth generation Canary winemaker, he enjoys both the passion and the knowledge to understand the local grapes well. His vines are between 15 and 40 years old and are farmed with the utmost respect for the environment without using synthetic products, thus limiting effects on the local fauna and flora. Grapes are selected twice, first on the vines, then again in the winery. Wild yeasts are used for the fermentation and following an ageing process and a light filtering, the wines are bottled without stabilizing.

The labels for both the Artífice range, wines produced from old vine grapes purchased from local vine-growers, and his Ignios range, are designed by Borja's brother, adding to the family character of the wines and their commitment for creativity in each bottle.