Glassware

How much acidity you taste first, and how much aroma actually reaches you, comes down mostly to the shape of the glass. For a wine that carries as little tannin and as much acidity as Listán Negro, this choice matters more than it does for most other red wines.

A wide, bulbous glass spreads the wine broadly across the tongue. That's exactly where you first, and most sharply, encounter the acidity that otherwise makes this wine feel so alive. A slimmer glass with a medium-sized bowl works better: it channels the wine more tightly and brings the delicate, salty fruit forward before the acidity takes over.

With Malvasía Volcánica, almost the opposite is true. Its aromas of ripe mango and white blossom need room to unfold at all. A white wine glass with a slightly wider bowl therefore suits it better than the narrow tulip glass used for a crisp Sauvignon Blanc. Confined too tightly, it suddenly seems flat and mute.

Temperature is where most mistakes happen. Listán Negro tolerates being served lightly chilled, at 14 to 16°C (57–61°F) — cooler than an ordinary red wine — because the chill doesn't strip away what little structure its low tannin content offers in the first place. A dry Malvasía, on the other hand, needs 8 to 10°C (46–50°F): cold enough to seem fresh, but not so cold that all its aroma stays trapped in the glass.

Many Canary red wines come out comparatively light-bodied and low in alcohol. Because of that, a more generous pour is more forgiving here than it would be with a heavier wine from warmer regions. Still, the basic rule remains the same everywhere: never fill the glass to the brim — only up to its widest point, so there's room above for the aroma to gather.