Wine Enthusiast drops some regions for reviews

As a wine writer, I understand the impossibility of giving equal attention to every wine growing regions. As I work on a column about the wines of the Canary Islands, I have to question if anyone cares — or if anyone who does care could even find them. The same holds true for several states in this country that make limited-distribution wines.

So when the eminent Wine Enthusiast announced recently that it will no longer taste wines from a number of domestic and foreign regions, I understood why. Nonetheless, its decision will mean more difficulty in minor regions getting international attention for their wines — many of which are worthy of review.

The regions the publication targeted include: Bulgaria, Croatia, China, Luxembourg, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Switzerland. In the United States, it is dropping all states other than California, Washington, Oregon, New York and Virginia.

Having roots in Michigan and Maryland, I have tasted many of their wines that command high scores. Yet they are still rare. These wines won’t get the attention they deserve without national publications such as the Wine Enthusiast’s review.

The wines of volcanic Canary Islands

My wife and I joined friends on a cruise of Portugal’s Madeira and Spain’s Canary Islands. Although we didn’t expect to find vineyards on the Canary Islands, we were surprised.

The islands were created by volcanic eruptions that have been active as recently as last year. Particularly noteworthy is the island of Lanzarote which had a great eruption in 1730. It last six years and caused major changes to the terroir.

Volcanic soil is very good for vineyards any where in the world, but the soil is particularly instrumental on this island. The landscape is so black it’s hard to imagine anything growing here. The vines are planted in individual depressions that are semi-encircled by stacked rock. This unusual configuration shields the vines from the cool winds. Obviously, the yield is low. To compete, winemakers must focus on quality.

Among the wines produced here is malvasia, Listan Negro, Listan Prieto.

Besides Lanzarote, the lsland of Tenerife and La Palma are also known for its vineyards. Here Malvasia Aromatica and Albillo Criollo is the primary grape.

I’m gathering some of these wines in the next few weeks and will report on what I find.