SoCo
Vinicola

Lanzarote
Spain

SoCo
Vinicola

Soco is the name given to the small lava stone walls that surround the pits in which the vines in Lanzarote are protected from the Atlantic winds

About SoCo
Vinicola

SoCo is an extraordinary project in many ways. Born out of necessity in the covid crisis of the year 2020, when the makers of Puro Rofe (friends and partners of Niepoort and Raul Perez), decided to take over the grapes from the desperate small winemakers of the island hit by covid and vinify them in their style. Ultimately, this led to three wonderful wines and the permanent establishment of SoCo. Soco is the name given to the small lava stone walls that surround the pits in which the vines in Lanzarote are protected from the Atlantic winds.

Lanzarote is only 90km from the Western Sahara desert and has annual rainfall averaging only 100 litres per square metre. Vine growing is only possible at this latitude thanks to two things: the “rofe” (the volcanic ash that traps in moisture of the soil) and the traditional hand dug pits called “hoyos”. Each of these protect a solitary vine from the strong desert winds, whilst letting the roots reach the fertile volcanic soil below, and capturing humidity from the always present dew. Soco are the semicircular volcanic stone walls built around the hoyo, further sheltering the vines from the wind. These tremendously functional sculptures take painstaking manual work to keep in perfect condition throughout the year.