Cotton–candy clouds dot a brilliant blue sky as we arrive at Bodegas Viñátigo on the northwest side of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. The cooling sea breeze ruffles our shirt sleeves, and my husband and I feel like we may have been here before: The wines of these islands shimmer with the energy of the sun and carry a saline tinge informed by the volcanic soil and salt air. Despite being relatively unheralded on the world stage, we have fallen for these wines, and so our Canary Islands vacation has become an unofficial wine–scouting expedition.
Related: Exploring the Oldest Wine Region in Canada (Spoiler: It Isn’t in Ontario or B.C.)