Gran Canaria's Las Tirajanas bodega is following in the footsteps of local grape pioneers such as Tenerife's Viñatigo winery by producing varietal wines made from Canarian grape varieties. 

This verijadiego varietal, made from grapes grown at altitude in Gran Canaria from vines originally from El Hierro, is a must try. It's a great example of what wineries can do if they invest in the lesser-known Canarian grapes as the stars of their wines, rather than blending them with the usual suspects like listán blanco.

Floral nose with green apple and citrus flavours and a hint of tropical fruit. Great long finish. Good value at around 10 euros a bottle in the supermarkets. Also available to try and buy at the winery in San Bartolomé and by the bottle at the La Oliva restaurant on the Las Canteras beachfront (14 euros). 

Alex says: Verijadiego is the El Hierro variety of a grape also cultivated in Granada, Spain and on the other Canary Islands (where it is also called Diego, Bujariego and Vijariego). If you ask wine makers, they will insist that this is nonsense and that their particular variety is completely unique.