Tenerife wine: a guide to the island’s vineyards, grapes, and where to taste

Tenerife wine: a guide to the island’s vineyards, grapes, and where to taste

Tenerife has been making wine for over 500 years. What most visitors don’t know is that the island has five official wine denominations (DOs), around 30 commercial grape varieties including some that exist almost nowhere else in the world, and a growing reputation among serious wine writers for producing some of Spain’s most interesting volcanic wines.

This guide covers the Tenerife wine regions, the main grapes to look for, where to taste wine on the island (including the official wine museum), and what guachinches are (the cheapest and most authentic way to drink Tenerife wine).

A short history of Tenerife wine

Wine has been produced in Tenerife since Spanish settlers arrived in the late 15th century. By the 16th and 17th centuries, Canary Islands wine (mostly sweet Malvasia) was famous across Europe. Shakespeare mentioned it repeatedly. It was shipped to England, the Americas, and the rest of Spain, and it was considered one of the best sweet wines in the world.

Then things collapsed. From 1840 onwards Tenerife’s vineyards declined for over a century due to failing export routes, mildew, and changing tastes. The industry didn’t seriously recover until the 1990s, when the five DOs were created and a new generation of winemakers started focusing on quality over quantity.

Today Tenerife has around 2,565 hectares of DO vineyards plus another 628 hectares outside DO zones. It’s a small industry by mainland Spanish standards, but one that’s increasingly recognised internationally for the uniqueness of its volcanic terroir and its old, ungrafted vines (the Canary Islands escaped the phylloxera plague that destroyed most of Europe’s vineyards in the 19th century).

The five DOs of Tenerife

Tenerife has five Denominaciones de Origen (DOs), plus the regional DOP Islas Canarias that covers all seven Canary Islands. Each Tenerife DO has its own character based on altitude, climate, and soil.

DO Tacoronte-Acentejo. The first DO in the Canary Islands, recognised in 1992. On the north coast, covering Tacoronte, El Sauzal, La Matanza, La Victoria, Santa Ursula, and several other municipalities. This is the densest wine-growing area in the archipelago. Best known for red wines from Listán Negro and Negramoll grapes. Vineyards are planted in terraces on north-facing slopes with clay-rich soils. The largest of the five DOs.

DO Valle de la Orotava. Recognised in 1995, covering the Orotava Valley on the north coast. The unique feature here is the cordón trenzado, a traditional vine training system where the vines are braided into horizontal cords that can stretch up to 15 metres. You won’t see this anywhere else in the world. Produces elegant whites and reds from Listán Blanco, Listán Negro, and other native varieties.

DO Ycoden-Daute-Isora. Recognised in 1994, covering the northwest of Tenerife including Icod de los Vinos (yes, the town of the dragon tree is also wine country), Garachico, Los Silos, and Guia de Isora. Famous for aromatic white wines, particularly those made from Malvasia Aromatica. Vines grow on volcanic ash and badlands with steep, hand-worked plots.

DO Valle de Guimar. Recognised in 1996, on the east coast. Vineyards range from sea level up to 1,780 metres of altitude, making them some of the highest in Europe. Whites make up about 80% of production. The wines are known for their balanced acidity and mineral character.

DO Abona. Recognised in 1996, covering the south of the island including Adeje, Arona, Vilaflor, San Miguel, and Granadilla. Vineyards go from sea level up to around 1,700 metres. The high altitude is essential here because the southern lowlands are too hot and sunny for quality wine. Produces full-bodied whites plus reds and rosés.

The grapes of Tenerife

Tenerife grows around 82 recognised grape varieties, of which about 30 are in commercial production. Many of these exist almost nowhere else in the world because the phylloxera louse never reached the Canary Islands, so vines here are ungrafted and preserve genetic material that was lost in most of Europe.

The two most important by volume are:

Listan Blanco (known as Palomino in mainland Spain, where it’s used for sherry). In Tenerife it produces crisp, mineral white wines with good acidity. The most planted white variety.

Listan Negro. The dominant red grape. Produces medium-bodied, aromatic reds with red fruit and volcanic minerality. Together, Listan Blanco and Listan Negro account for about 85% of Tenerife’s plantings.

Beyond those, the interesting stuff includes:

Malvasia Aromatica. The historic “Canary sack” grape that made Shakespeare’s favourite wine. Today used for both dry and sweet whites with intense floral and tropical fruit aromas. Best examples come from Ycoden-Daute-Isora.

Negramoll. A native red grape producing lighter, aromatic reds. Known as Tinta Negra Mole in Madeira.

Baboso Negro. A deeply coloured, tannic red variety, increasingly used for serious ageworthy reds.

Vijariego (Blanco and Negro). Native varieties producing structured, mineral wines.

Marmajuelo and Gual. Aromatic white varieties prized by small producers for complex, age-worthy whites.

Moscatel. Used for sweet wines, usually late-harvested.

Casa del Vino: the official Tenerife wine museum

If you want to learn about Tenerife wine in one place, go to Casa del Vino in El Sauzal. It’s the official Tenerife wine museum, owned by the Cabildo (island council) and managed by the Fundacion Tenerife Rural. Set in a restored 17th-century Canarian hacienda with views over the Orotava Valley and Mount Teide.

Inside you’ll find the Island Museum of Vine and Wine, a honey museum, an agrobiodiversity interpretation centre, a chapel (San Simon), and a traditional wine press in the central courtyard. The tasting room has wines from all five Tenerife DOs plus the DOP Islas Canarias, and regularly stocks over 100 different Canarian wines. Tastings are paid separately and come with local products like cheese, honey, and mojos.

There’s also a restaurant (Hierbabuena Taberna Moderna) with a terrace looking out over Teide. Decent food, not cheap but not ridiculous.

Casa del Vino practical info:
– Address: C/ San Simon 49, 38360 El Sauzal
– Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 to 20:00. Sundays and holidays 10:00 to 18:00. Closed Mondays.
– Entry to the museum: free
– Tastings: paid, varies by number of wines
– Parking: free, on site
– Phone: +34 922 57 25 35

Easy to reach from the TF-5 motorway, about 30 minutes from Santa Cruz and 20 minutes from Puerto de la Cruz.

Guachinches: the cheapest and most authentic way to drink Tenerife wine

A guachinche is a small, informal, family-run eatery where farmers sell their own house wine alongside simple home-cooked Canarian food. They exist specifically in Tenerife (not in the other Canary Islands) and they’re a legal concept with rules: a guachinche can only open for a limited period each year (traditionally a few months), can only sell the family’s own wine from the most recent harvest, and can only serve a short menu of basic dishes.

In practice this means: €8 to 15 per person for a hearty meal with wine, in a setting that’s often someone’s converted garage, garden, or the back room of a farmhouse. The atmosphere is completely unpretentious. The wine is young, unfiltered, sometimes a bit rough, and almost always interesting. The food is classic stuff: papas arrugadas with mojo, garbanzas (chickpea stew), grilled pork, rabbit, local cheese.

Guachinches are concentrated in the north, particularly around Tacoronte, El Sauzal, La Orotava, Santa Ursula, and La Matanza. They don’t usually advertise and they open and close based on how much wine the family has left. The best way to find them is to ask locals or look for handwritten signs on rural roads saying “hay guachinche” (there is a guachinche). There are also guachinche apps and websites that track which ones are currently open.

Some guachinches have become more formalised and operate year-round like regular restaurants. These are technically closer to casas de comida (eating houses) but still serve the same traditional food and their own wine.

If you want the most authentic Tenerife wine experience, skip the polished wine museums and go to a guachinche.

Where else to taste Tenerife wine

Individual wineries (bodegas). Many small producers offer visits and tastings by appointment. Some of the better-known names include Bodegas Monje (Tacoronte-Acentejo), Suertes del Marques (Valle de la Orotava), Vinatigo (Ycoden-Daute-Isora), and Tajinaste (Valle de la Orotava). Most charge for tastings and require booking ahead.

Restaurants. Any decent restaurant in Tenerife will have a selection of local wines. In the north, most places heavily stock Tacoronte-Acentejo and Orotava wines. In the south, the selection may lean more towards Abona. Ask for “vino de la tierra” or “vino canario” and the server will point you to the local section.

Wine shops. Specialist wine shops exist in Santa Cruz, Puerto de la Cruz, and La Laguna, as well as at Casa del Vino. They’re the best places to buy bottles to take home.

Tenerife wine tasting events

If you time your visit right, Tenerife has several wine events worth planning around:

Saborea Tenerife. An annual gastronomy festival featuring Tenerife wines alongside local food.

Gastrocanarias. A bigger regional food and wine event, usually in spring.

DO events. Each of the five DOs organises tasting events throughout the year, often at the regulatory council (consejo regulador) headquarters.

Harvest season (August to October). Some bodegas open their doors for harvest tourism, where visitors can help pick grapes and learn about the winemaking process. Ask at the tourist office or directly at individual wineries.

Tips for exploring Tenerife wine

Rent a car. Most wineries and guachinches are in rural areas with limited public transport. A car gives you flexibility and access to remote spots. Don’t drink and drive: Spanish alcohol limits are strict. Spit at tastings or have a designated driver.

Book ahead for wineries. Most small producers aren’t open for drop-ins. Call or email in advance. Casa del Vino is the exception: you can just turn up during opening hours.

Buy at source. Wines bought directly from the winery are significantly cheaper than in restaurants or shops, and you get to choose exactly what you want.

Try the volcanic whites. If you’re used to mainland Spanish whites, Tenerife’s Listan Blanco and Malvasia are something different. Volcanic soil gives them a distinct minerality. Start there.

Don’t ignore the reds. Tenerife isn’t primarily a red wine region, but Listan Negro, Baboso Negro, and the better Orotava reds are genuinely interesting wines.

Pair with local food. Tenerife wines were made to go with Canarian food. Pair crisp whites with seafood and papas con mojo. Pair Listan Negro with grilled meats or rabbit. Save the Malvasia for dessert.

Is Tenerife wine any good?

Short answer: yes, increasingly so. Tenerife will never be Rioja or Ribera del Duero in volume or international fame, but the quality of the better producers has improved massively since the 1990s, and wine critics from Jancis Robinson to Wine Enthusiast have taken notice. The combination of volcanic soils, old ungrafted vines, unusual grape varieties, and high-altitude vineyards gives Tenerife wines a character you can’t replicate elsewhere.

If you’re a curious drinker looking for something different, the island delivers. Just be willing to try grapes you’ve never heard of.

Explore Tenerife with CanaryVIP

CanaryVIP doesn’t run dedicated wine tours, but our north Tenerife guided bus tours pass through several of the main wine regions, including Tacoronte-Acentejo and the Orotava Valley. Combined with a visit to La Orotava, La Laguna, and the northern towns, it’s a good way to get a sense of the wine country even if you’re not tasting.

For the full wine experience, rent a car and head to Casa del Vino in El Sauzal, then explore the guachinches around Tacoronte and La Orotava. See our markets and local food guide for more on eating like a local.

Browse all Tenerife excursions