Volcanic vines meet museum history. This El Grifo tour pairs a guided walk with a professional tasting of six onsite wines.

I like two things most: the way the head sommelier connects flavor to Lanzarote’s trade winds and volcanic soils, and the chance to taste the island’s core grapes—malvasia, listán negro, and syrah—without feeling rushed.

One planning note: there’s no hotel pickup, so you’ll need your own transport or a taxi to get to the bodega.

Key highlights at a glance

• Head sommelier-led guidance from the first stop through the tasting
• Wine Museum on the 1775 winery site, including tools from the 19th and 20th centuries
• Taste 6 wines from El Grifo, paired with local cheese snacks
• Grape education you can taste, built around malvasia, listán negro, and syrah
• Small groups (10 max) that make questions feel welcome
• Discounts on shipping bottles to European countries

Entering El Grifo Bodega in Lanzarote

El Grifo is one of those places where the setting does half the explaining. You’re in Lanzarote, and the tour uses that reality—wind exposure, volcanic ground, and local grape varieties—to make the wine feel connected to place, not just a product on a table.

The experience starts with a guided visit to the winery itself, then adds a short but meaningful stop at the on-site Wine Museum. That museum part matters because it doesn’t treat wine as a modern trend. It frames it as something that has been made here for a long time, using tools and processes that changed across the 19th and 20th centuries.

And because the group stays small (up to 10), you’re not stuck watching from the edge. You can ask questions, get clarification, and keep the tempo of the tour from turning into a lecture you can’t interact with.

What Happens During the 2 Hours: A Simple, Focused Flow

This is a 2-hour tasting tour, so it moves with intention. You’ll see the bodega and museum in a compact format, then spend most of your time tasting and learning how to notice what you’re drinking.

Here’s the flow you can expect:

1) Guided tour with the head sommelier

You’ll meet your live guide (the tour runs in Spanish and English). The big value here is that the guide is not just reciting facts. The head sommelier approach means you get explanations that connect vineyard conditions to what you’ll taste later.

You’ll learn about the characteristics of key grapes grown on the family plot: malvasia, listán negro, and syrah. The guide also talks about why local conditions matter, including the role of trade winds and volcanic soils.

2) Short visit to the Wine Museum

After the initial winery walk-through, you’ll head into the Wine Museum, which served as the location of the old winery from 1775. It’s described as the oldest of its type in the Canary Islands, and the museum experience uses that credibility to show you how winemaking operated during its working years.

You’ll see tools and utensils used in the 19th and 20th centuries, plus how wine was made during operation until the winery closure in the 1990s. This stop gives the tasting context: modern bottles make more sense when you’ve seen the earlier “how it worked” side.

3) Professional tasting of 6 wines

Then comes the main event: a tasting of 6 wines produced onsite. The guide leads you through a structured tasting so you’re not just sipping and hoping for the best.

You’ll be encouraged to pay attention to smells, colors, and flavors—the fun part you can actually practice even if you’re a beginner. One of the best signals from prior groups is that the format works for wine novices, not only serious collectors.

4) Cheese snacks pairing

The tasting isn’t dry. The tour includes local cheese snacks paired alongside the wines. This is practical education: you learn how food can shift what you perceive in the glass, and you get a snack break without needing to hunt for a restaurant afterward.

The Grapes You’ll Learn to Taste: Malvasia, Listán Negro, Syrah

What makes this tour stand out for me is that it’s not just “try six wines.” It teaches you what to listen for—especially with Lanzarote’s three headline grapes.

Malvasia: wind and volcanic influence

The tour explains that trade winds and volcanic soil affect the composition and quality of the grapes. When you taste the wines, you’re doing it with that idea in your head: the flavor profile you notice is tied to local conditions, not just the winery’s style.

Listán negro: a signature grape, explained the local way

You’ll get the guide’s explanation of listán negro as part of the family-plot focus. In practice, that means you’re not trying to guess what you’re drinking. You’re tasting with a frame: what makes the grape itself interesting, and how the environment shapes it.

Syrah: not an afterthought

Syrah rounds out the tasting, giving you variety so the six wines don’t all blur together. Since the tour explicitly addresses how each grape fits the Lanzarote growing situation, you’ll have a better chance of spotting differences instead of just naming them.

A small but important detail: you get guided noticing

Your guide—often described as engaging and able to answer questions—keeps the tasting moving. That matters because wine tastings can fail in two ways: either they feel too basic, or they turn too technical too fast. This tour aims for the middle ground: sensory practice with clear explanations.

The Wine Museum Stop: Why the 1775 Setting Changes the Tasting

It’s easy to treat a museum like a quick checkbox. Here, the museum is short but purposeful, because it shows the machinery and method behind the bottle.

The Wine Museum is located in the old winery site from 1775, noted as the oldest of its type in the Canary Islands. During the tour, you’ll learn about the tools and utensils used in the 19th and 20th centuries, and how the winemaking process worked before the winery closed in the 1990s.

Why this matters for you: once you see winemaking as a changing craft, the tasting feels less random. You start to notice how today’s wines sit on top of earlier techniques—how tradition and innovation can share the same space.

Also, the museum break gives you a rhythm reset in the middle of the experience. You’re not continuously tasting and sitting; you’re alternating between learning and sampling, which makes the two-hour time feel comfortable.

Six Wines, Local Cheese, and a Head Sommelier’s Pace

Let’s talk about the tasting itself, because that’s what you’re paying for.

You’ll taste 6 of the best wines produced onsite, paired with local cheese. The guide leads a professional tasting where you learn to identify smells, colors, and flavors. That sensory structure is the big practical win. Instead of leaving with a vague “it was good,” you leave with a method you can reuse at home.

What I’d do to get the most from it

If you want to enjoy every minute, go in with a couple of habits:

• Ask your guide what to notice in each pour
• Keep pace with the tasting prompts rather than trying to analyze everything at once
• Use the cheese pairing as your “reset” between wines, so the comparisons actually stick

Why the guide role matters

Multiple guide names show up in past groups—Minerva, Jacqueline, Jacky, Alessandra, and Alexandra—and the common thread is the ability to explain the story behind the wine and answer questions. That’s not fluff. In a small-group tasting, a good guide can turn your interest up a notch without making you feel silly for not knowing terms.

And yes, the tasting includes enough variety that even someone who isn’t chasing wine facts can still have a fun, social experience.

Group Size, Language Options, and Adult-Only Focus

This is a small group tour, capped at 10 participants. For a wine tasting, that’s a sweet spot. It’s big enough for atmosphere, but small enough for the guide to keep eye contact, answer questions, and adjust pace if the group needs it.

The tour runs with live interpretation in Spanish and English, which is helpful if you’re traveling with friends who speak different languages.

One more filter: it’s only for adults (18+). That means the tone tends to be relaxed and grown-up—less “school field trip” energy, more conversation around the wine and the history.

Price and Value: How $57 Fits This Mix of Wine, Museum, and Expertise

At $57 per person, this tour isn’t trying to be the cheapest thing on Lanzarote. But it also isn’t selling “just a tasting.” Your ticket includes:

• A guide (head sommelier-led)
• Tasting of 6 onsite wines
• Cheese tasting
• A brief visit to the museum
• Discounts on shipping to European countries

The value logic is straightforward: you’re paying for guided wine education plus six wine tastings plus the museum context—within a tight 2-hour window. If you’ve ever done tastings where you get one or two pours and then sit in silence, this format is harder to beat.

The one cost factor to watch is what’s not included: hotel pickup and drop-off. That means you should budget time (and likely a taxi) to reach El Grifo. If you’re staying somewhere where transport is easy, this may barely register. If you’re farther out, factor in the extra planning.

Also, the shipping discount can be meaningful if you want bottles to come home. The tour even positions this as part of the experience, not a random afterthought.

Practical Tips Before You Go to El Grifo

A few small, practical things can make this tour smoother:

• Plan to arrive on time for your 2-hour slot. Starting times can vary, so check availability before you commit.
• Expect adult-only, so if you’re traveling with kids, this one won’t fit.
• If you don’t want to drink a lot, you can still enjoy the education and the cheese pairing—this kind of structured tasting tends to be easier to follow when someone explains what to look for.
• Come curious. The tour is built around learning grapes (malvasia, listán negro, syrah), and the environment (trade winds and volcanic soils). If you like asking questions, the small group size makes that rewarding.
• Have a transport plan. Since pickup isn’t included, decide how you’re getting there in advance.

Should You Book This Wine Lovers Tour at El Grifo?

If you want a short, high-impact introduction to Lanzarote wine—this is a strong yes.

Book it if:

• You like guided tastings with structure (smell, color, flavor)
• You want both wine and a real museum context, not just a quick pour
• You enjoy learning how environment shapes what you drink, especially with malvasia, listán negro, and syrah
• You prefer small groups where questions don’t get ignored

Skip it if:

• You’re looking for a long vineyard hike or a full-day countryside itinerary. This is built to be compact.
• You don’t want the cost of transport since hotel pickup isn’t included.
• You’re traveling with anyone under 18.

For most people who want a satisfying tasting experience without dragging the day out, El Grifo’s Wine Lovers tour is a neat package: six wines, cheese pairing, and the kind of history that makes the glass taste more meaningful.

FAQ

How long is the El Grifo Wine Lovers tasting tour?

It lasts about 2 hours.

How many wines will I taste?

You’ll taste 6 wines produced onsite.

Is there a museum visit included?

Yes. The tour includes a brief visit to the Wine Museum.

Who guides the tour?

A live guide leads the experience, and the tasting is accompanied by the head sommelier.

What group size is it?

The tour is a small group limited to 10 participants.

What languages are available?

The tour is offered in Spanish and English.

Is hotel pickup included?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included.

Is the tour only for adults?

Yes. It’s only for adults aged 18+.

What’s included in the price?

Included are the guide, tasting of 6 wines, cheese tasting, and discounts on shipping to European countries.

Can I cancel for a refund?

Yes. Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.

You Might Also Enjoy

Lanzarote Grand TourFull Day Surf Lesson for Beginners in Famara, SpainLanzarote: Full Day Bus Tour with Scenic ViewsDay Sail to La Graciosa