The Canary Islands (or Las Canarias) archipelago is an autonomous community of Spain in the North Atlantic Ocean, located 70 miles (110km) off the west coast of Morocco. The wine trade here is far from famous – little local wine makes it out of the Canaries at all – but there is a long and reasonably idiosyncratic winemaking tradition in the region.

The dramatic, lofty Canary Islands sit at a latitude of roughly 28°N – making them the most tropical of Europe's wine regions. It is thanks to this position, once criss-crossed by naval trade routes, that the local wine industry first flourished – not long after the islands came under Spanish control in the early 15th Century. The region's famed sweet Malmsey wine, made from the Malvasia grape, was hugely popular with the English, Dutch and Germans, but its popularity didn't last. Today, very little of the local wine is exported, due to strong local demand and a thriving tourism industry. Ten areas were officially granted DO status in the 1990s and early 2000s.

The Canary Islands are perhaps best known for their otherworldly landscapes and warm temperatures that draw millions of tourists every year. Spectacular razor-sharp cliffs, golden sand dunes, seemingly endless coastline and the lunar-like volcanic terrain of Lanzarote are far better known than the region's wines.