thomasholmphoto

Virgins fertilizing La Geria

Added 2025-01-05 15:00:04 +0000 UTC

Since I first saw La Geria, I’ve been fascinated with its austere, barren, and graphic look.

I did do one other shoot there, but it didn’t encapsulate my sense of the environment, so I never edited it..

La Geria in Lanzarote uses a very clever grape-growing method.

But frankly - however enticing my fantasy of placing gorgeous nude women on the soil to increase the fertility of the barren landscape is - to the best of my knowledge - only happening in my imagination.
Unfortunately.

So here is a more plausible explanation of the place:

After massive volcanic eruptions in the 1700s, farmers had to adapt to a situation in which their fertile land was buried in ash.

They dug pits into the soil, planted vines, and built little stone walls to protect them from the wind. The volcanic ash traps moisture from the air and keeps the soil cool so the vines can grow even with barely any rain.
This unique setup has made the area a hotspot for great wine, especially made with Malvasia grapes.

El Grifo, one of the oldest vineyards on the Island, makes on wine called Lias I'm particular fond of.