Vineyards of Lanzarote, Spain

The Spanish island of Lanzarote now produces an average of 2 million liters of wine annually, even though this island is made up of volcanic rock and sand the cultivators has figured out a way to utilize the characteristics of the landscape and weather conditions to its best. Each vine is planted at the base of a roughly three foot deep pit about four to five meters wide, surrounded by stone walls called Zocos, these pits were created to protect the plant from strong winds, and to further enhance water absorption/retention. Throughout the year, rain comes around no more than 16 days annually but the volcanic soil retains moisture extremely well with the help of these pits vines are able to grow prolifically. From a distance it looks like the island has been hit by thousands of meteors, it is a truly astonishing sight.

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