🍇 Vigiriega

Vigiriega (Spanish Vigiriega; in VIVC, Vijariego blanco) is a Spanish white wine grape. According to VIVC's DNA markers, one parent is the old Spanish variety Hebén, and the other is unidentified. The catalogue lists 14 synonyms, including Diego, Bujariego, Vijiriego and Vigiriega de Motril.

Today the variety is rare: it grows in the Canary Islands (El Hierro, Tenerife) and in the province of Granada — in the Contraviesa mountains of the Alpujarra. Before the phylloxera epidemic of the late nineteenth century it was grown throughout Andalusia. VIVC gave 509.32 ha for Spain (1999). In the list of Spain's Ministry of Agriculture (MAPA, 2026), Vijariego Blanco is a principal variety in the DOPs Granada and Jerez-Xérès-Sherry and in most designations of the Canary Islands.

On El Hierro it is called Vijariego blanco or Diego. The specification of the DOP El Hierro explains that phylloxera never reached the island, so the vines grow ungrafted, and that Vigiriega, together with Baboso Blanco, Bermejuela and Gual, is regarded as a local variety that appears in almost all the designation's wines and gives the white wines the most character. The minimum natural ripeness of its grapes there is 13° Baumé.

Why it matters to you. The vine is vigorous, hardy and productive; the bunches are medium-sized and loose, and the berries large, almost round and pale green — they were once valued as table grapes too. Vigiriega juice is rich in both sugar and acids, which makes the variety especially suitable for sparkling wines, while its still wines are fruity, with notes of green apple, pear, citrus and fennel.