EL GRIFO AND CULTURE
A tribute to universal artists who gave us their friendship
ILLUSTRIOUS FRIENDS
At EL GRIFO, we have been incredibly fortunate to welcome remarkable figures from the world of art and culture.
Their example and affection continue to inspire us in our daily work.
ALFREDO KRAUS: THE UNIVERSAL VOICE OF THE CANARY ISLANDS
Among the illustrious Canarians, the great tenor from Gran Canaria, Alfredo Kraus (1927–1999), stands out. During the 1980s and 1990s, he regularly visited the winery with his wife, Rosa Ley, during their holidays.
A good friend of the owners, it is said that on one occasion, to the delight of those present, he broke into song under our century-old wine arbor known as the “Parral de la Mesa".
CÉSAR MANRIQUE: THE GENIUS WHO TRANSFORMED LANZAROTE
The distinctive personality of César and his work, spread across the island, served as a magnet and a unique tourist attraction.
Beyond being the island’s steadfast guardian, he offered support and advice to countless people of Lanzarote. At EL GRIFO, a longstanding friendship and familial neighborly relationship paved the way for numerous collaborations with the winery—mostly occasional, but always impactful.
In the 1980s, his art exhibitions in Germany became a unique opportunity for the winery, which took advantage of the transport of his works to include crates of Malvasía wine. This marked EL GRIFO’s beginnings in Europe.
In 1986, on his own initiative, he proposed creating a specific label for our Malvasía Semidulce, his favorite wine. Shortly afterward, he created the painting we acquired, now displayed in the library.
Between 1990 and 1991, César once again collaborated selflessly with EL GRIFO, during the final stages of the original winery’s restoration—and the final stage of his life—to transform it into an ethnographic space open to visitors. In addition to approving the work carried out under the technical direction of Ubaldo Blanco Ayala, he designed the interior circulation route within the old cement tanks, or “tanquillas.”
During that time, he also redesigned the entrance to the winery, creating the logo displayed on the doors and on his Monument to the Grifo Bird, a mythical creature.
Sadly, his death in 1992 left both Lanzarote and its people bereft.
JOSÉ HIERRO: THE CERVANTES PRIZE AND THE LIBRARY
The EL GRIFO Library holds over 5,000 volumes on the history, agriculture, and wine of the Canary Islands. It opened its doors in 1998, with the great poet José Hierro, recipient of the National Literature Prize and the Cervantes Prize, serving as master of ceremonies.
Among its notable treasures is a first edition acquired in London of “The History of the Discovery and Conquest of the Canary Islands” (London, 1764). A blend of travel writing, adventure, and agronomy, this book was written by George Glas (1725–1765), a wandering Scotsman, merchant, and spy for Her Majesty. Glas also introduced the Listán Negro grape variety to the island.
Another remarkable discovery in the collection is the ledger of accounts and winemaking records belonging to the great-grandfather of the current owners, Manuel García Durán.
SARAMAGO AND A NOBEL ANNIVERSARY
In 2000, the winery celebrated its 225th Anniversary. Nobel Prize laureate José Saramago, a distinguished resident of the island at the time, unveiled a commemorative plaque for the occasion and delivered a speech, which remains framed in the library to this day.
He also wrote the foreword for the book “Traditional Cooperage and the Wines of the Canary Islands” by Juan José Otamendi, published by the winery to mark the start of the new millennium.
The winery continues to maintain a close relationship with his widow, Pilar del Río, who serves as the president of the José Saramago Foundation.
ILDEFONSO AGUILAR: LANZAROTE AS A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION
A key figure in contemporary Canarian art, and especially in Lanzarote, his work is deeply rooted in the volcanic landscape and the soul of the island.
Throughout his career, he has explored —with sensitivity and consistency— the relationship between art, nature, and insular identity.
His visual language —austere, meditative, and filled with silence— engages in a dialogue with the tones of ash, the texture of lava, and the vastness of the Atlantic horizon.
As a painter, photographer, sound designer, and cultural curator, Aguilar has developed a multidisciplinary body of work with Lanzarote always at its emotional and conceptual core.
His artistic vision has played a decisive role in reinforcing the island as a place of creation, with an influence that reaches far beyond the archipelago.
COMMEMORATION OF OUR 250TH ANNIVERSARY
Ildefonso Aguilar honors our friendship by creating the painting Bajo el Volcán, which inspires the label of the commemorative wine for our 250th anniversary.
The choice of Ildefonso for this tribute is no coincidence: his artistic vision shares with EL GRIFO a deep sensitivity to Lanzarote’s volcanic landscape—its textures, its silence, and its memory.
On this very special occasion, Aguilar has created an original work that pays homage to the land that unites us, and gives name and meaning to our most symbolic wine: Malvasía Volcánica Lías 2018 – 250th Anniversary Edition.
This wine was born from an extraordinary vintage, vinified with care and aged on fine lees for more than four years. The result is a white wine that is complex, elegant, and profound, revealing the full potential of Malvasía Volcánica when time and respect are allowed to shape it.
CENTENNIAL TRIBUTES
EL GRIFO has produced limited editions to commemorate the birth of three of these unique artists
JOSÉ HIERRO
Centennial Edition 1922-2022
2021 Vintage. Production: 1,632 bottles. Crafted from Malvasía Volcánica grapes, partially fermented with their skins.
Harvest sourced from the Don José Núñez parcel.
MALVASÍA DE CÉSAR
Centennial Edition 1919-2019
2017 Vintage. Production: 14,000 bottles of Malvasía Volcánica aged on its lees.
The bottle label features a fragment of the mural titled ‘Lanzarote’, created by César Manrique in 1953.
SARAMAGO 100
Centennial Edition 1922-2022
2019 Vintage. Production: 12,986 bottles. Made from 100% Syrah grapes, sourced from 30-year-old vines planted in a parcel of the winery.
The logo was created by Estrada Design Studio.
A UNIQUE LIBRARY
EL GRIFO has a unique library in Spain, with classic treatises and first editions of essential works on history, viticulture and agriculture of the Canary Islands.
MORE THAN 5,000 WORKS
Inaugurated by the poet José Hierro in 1998, it was confirmed on our 225th anniversary by José Saramago
