Regenerative Viticulture
Regenerative viticulture is an agricultural approach that seeks to restore and enhance the soil and ecosystem in vineyards. It focuses on sustainable practices that promote biodiversity. The techniques used are:...
OUR RESEARCH
The heart of the winery
TRADITION, SCIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY
At EL GRIFO, research is an essential part of our identity.
For years, we have been committed to projects that combine science, tradition, and sustainability to better understand our vineyards and anticipate future challenges.
Each study is born from curiosity and commitment to the volcanic land that defines us.
ACADEMIC COLLABORATION
EL GRIFO maintains a close collaboration with the University of La Laguna in Tenerife, participating in the international wine tourism awards competition.
This alliance promotes training, scientific outreach, and Canarian culture in the wine industry, strengthening the winery's social and educational commitment.
WINTER HARVEST
In Lanzarote, growing vines is an act of resistance to the wind, drought, and volcanic terrain. But it's also a space for experimentation.
Our Winter Harvest is a pioneering project in the winemaking world that challenges the logic of the traditional harvest calendar, adapting it to the unique climate of Lanzarote.
Studies carried out
Method for assessing the condition of the vineyard - Collaboration with Abadía Retuerta
In this study, we present the conclusions of 5 years of work in our Abadía Retuerta vineyard. We have observed a nearly 100% correlation between vine shoot growth and the...
Selection and multiplication of native yeasts
At EL GRIFO, we make our wines with yeasts selected from our own vineyard. After a meticulous process of isolation, identification, and cultivation, we have developed unique native strains that...
Technical team
Elisa Ludeña
Technical Director
Born in Ecuador and raised in Lanzarote since the age of 14, Elisa trained in Tourism and then specialized in Viticulture, beginning her career in 2018. She has worked at several wineries on the island and trained in La Rioja, where she completed a master's degree in Viticulture Technology, Management, and Research. Since 2023, she has led the Oenology department at EL GRIFO.
Committed to sustainability and regenerative viticulture, she leads production in one of Europe's most extreme wine-growing regions, where manual cultivation on volcanic soils defines heroic viticulture.
Her career combines passion, ongoing training, and an innovative vision, consolidating her position as a benchmark in Canarian oenology.
Xabier Kamio
Consulting winemaker
A Basque winemaker with a solid track record in winemaking innovation on the Iberian Peninsula, Xabier Kamio is today a leading technical advisor for wineries throughout Spain and Portugal. A specialist in ripe-fruited red wines, his approach integrates precision viticulture, sustainability, and winery process improvement, always with quality as its central focus.
Since 2022 he has collaborated with EL GRIFO As an external advisor, he actively participates in defining the winery's winemaking style and in R&D projects that connect territory, technology, and sustainability. One of the most notable is the Winter Harvest , a pioneering initiative in Europe that involves bringing forward the vegetative cycle to harvest during the colder months, avoiding the peaks of summer heat and producing wines with greater freshness, balance, and varietal expression.
Their vision is based on a living and collaborative winemaking approach, where technique and sensitivity combine to create wines that respect their origins and connect with those who enjoy them.
Sara Rodríguez
Technician in the oenological department
Born in Fuerteventura and a resident of Lanzarote for almost 20 years, Sara joined EL GRIFO's technical team in 2023, bringing extensive experience in laboratory, viticulture, and technical management.
She began her career in the healthcare field as a Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory Technician, but in 2017 she focused her career on the wine industry, training as a Senior Technician in Viticulture and working in grape harvesting at Bodegas Vega de Yuco.
After completing his training, he joined the same winery, where for five years he worked in the laboratory, field supervision, and managed the technical department alongside the winemaker. His profile combines technical knowledge, winery and vineyard experience, and training in quality standards.
Patricia Pacheco
Field Technician
Originally from Tinajo, in Lanzarote, she grew up in a family of farmers, where she learned from an early age the value of the land and the effort it takes to cultivate it. This deep connection led her to study agroecology, later specializing in viticulture.
She completed her internship at Bodega El Grifo, where she began working during the grape harvest and, after several seasons, became a permanent member of the team. Since then, she has integrated her ecological values into every stage of the process, from the vineyard to the winery.
She is particularly committed to composting as a way to close the organic matter cycle and return to the soil what it gives us. She believes in circular agriculture, where nothing is wasted.
Her philosophy: “What the land gives, should return to it.”