Tenerife Grape Harvest Plummets Amid Drought, Disease, and New Pest

Tenerife's 2025 grape harvest is almost finished (98%), but it's following a worrying trend of poor production. Grape losses are between 40% and 60% compared to last year, which was already a bad year. This means, on average, about half the grapes are missing.

They expect to harvest around three million kilos of grapes, down from 4.1 million in 2024, which was also lower than 2023. Wine experts are calling it an "uneven" harvest, with big differences between the north and south, and between the mountains and the coast.

A new and concerning factor is the arrival of the phylloxera aphid, a tiny insect, on the island for the first time ever. It was first spotted in July on a farm in Valle de Guerra and has since been found on plants in Tacoronte, La Matanza, La Orotava, and recently in Candelaria.

Local government officials acknowledge that vineyard yields and harvests are down by 30% to 55%, averaging a 45% decrease.

Overall, the wine industry has seen a significant drop in production this year, especially in the northern regions. This is due to irregular vine growth and bad weather. Extreme temperatures and a lack of rain have hurt the vines.

The spring rains actually made things worse, encouraging diseases like mildew, which damaged many vineyards. Powdery mildew then added to the problem.

Sudden temperature changes also weakened the vines, resulting in fewer grapes, especially for red varieties. Some farmers even decided not to harvest at all because it wasn't worth it.

The south of the island fared better, with less disease. White grape varieties, which are stronger, produced a bit more, but still less than a normal year.

The local government has provided €1.4 million in aid to winegrowers affected by the 2024 drought to help them cope with lost income. This support was distributed with the help of local wine councils to help them stay competitive during this difficult time, especially as Tenerife is known for producing excellent wine.

Juan Jesús Méndez, owner of Bodega Viñátigo and president of the Canary Wine association, agrees that quality is still good, but quantity is down. He says the harvest is "very uneven" due to "seven years of drought." This year's rains have helped the plants recover, but the benefits won't be seen until next year. He estimates a 40% reduction in grapes compared to previous years, with some areas being much more affected by the drought. He also notes that the phylloxera outbreaks are limited to certain areas and are only affecting the leaves, not the roots, which is the biggest concern.

Romeo Rodríguez, a winegrower in the northeast, describes the 2025 harvest as "disastrous," with yields down by an average of 50%.

Rodríguez has been in the wine business since 1995. He expanded his vineyards to 82.7 hectares in 2010, but since then, he's seen a steady decline due to unprofitability. He expects to be farming only 12 hectares next year, an 82% decrease in fifteen years. He's had to abandon some of his land. He also points out that the phylloxera is mainly found in neglected vineyards, not in those that are well-maintained.

Ayoze Estévez, an agricultural technician, says the harvest is "scarce, almost half of the average, 40% less." He notes that even last year was better, and it was considered a bad year. He also mentions that farmers in the midlands and higher areas are complaining about partridges and mouflons (a type of wild sheep) damaging the vines.