A quick & dirty guide to finding Tenerife’s best wines based on my own experience, and discussions with local winemakers and wine experts.
For a deeper dive into Tenerife’s history and wines, see my full regional guide to the Canary Islands.
Those wanting to explore a variety of local Tenerife wines may struggle to find them amongst the wine lists focused on Rioja, Ribera del Duero and cheap table wine.
Below is a guide to some bars and restaurants that showcase local wines where you can discover a variety by the glass that express the island’s “terroir”.
While the tourists and cruise ships flock to the beaches in the south-west of Tenerife, there is much local charm to be found on the northern coast, home to some of the best wines in the Canary Islands.
Before jumping in, a few quick tips and reminders of the wines, regions and producers:
- Listán Blanco and Listán Negro – the main native grape varieties in Tenerife (there are many other minor varieties – see Canary Islands Grapes
- Valle de Orotava – the smoky, reductive volcanic white wines, primarily Listán Blanco (Palomino) come from the western end of the valley, where the eastern end produces better red wines (like the spicy, peppery Listán Negro.
Home to one of the islands’ top producers: Suertes del Marques, who also advises on winemaking for Presas Ocampo for their “Ocampo” brand.
Small-scale producer Iñaki Garrido also makes his excellent wines at Suertes’ winery.
Atlante also grow their grapes and make wonderful wines here. - Icod de los Vinos – the valley to the west of Orotava
Bodegas Viñátigo (veen-YAH-tea-go) is the main producer here. Tenerife’s first winery to bottle their wines, and is responsible for recovering and reviving many of the indigenous grape varieties. Viñátigo likes to ensure their wines are affordable for local budgets, and can be found at most restaurants. You can’t go wrong with these wines which represent the local grapes and terroir very well. Look out for Taganan on the label, produced from wild growing vines that survived a volcanic landslide and grow almost horizontally out from the rock fissures. Viñátigo and Envínate are the only two wineries to make wines from these vines. - Guachinche – low-key local restaurants ranging from modest workers’ lunches to seasonal, farm-to-table dishes. Guachinche Ramón (website, Instagram) in Valle de Orotava serves particularly good food and house wine that is excellent value for money. Nearby Bodegas Arautava is much more rustic and local in character, at a comparable price point.
Where to find them (working clockwise around the island):
South-west coast
The tourist centre of Tenerife.
Anyone confined to this region will find some great wine lists in the many fancy hotel resorts restaurants, listed in the Michelin guide, Star Wine List and Guía Repsol.
Although I haven’t personally visited, The Winery Shop (website, Instagram) is on my list of places do go if I ever find myself in this region.
Garachico
Bestia Marina (website, Instagram) offering à la carte and tasting menus.
El Rebojo (website, Instagram) serving small plates and experimental flavours.
El Rebojo have a sister wine store nearby (El Trueque Gourmet, on Calle Venus) with a great selection of local wines and beer.
Puerto de la Cruz
While being the main tourist spot of the north coast, it still retains a local vibe and offers some of the highest concentration of bars and restaurants.
Vinoteca con Pasión (website, Instagram) is widely regarded as the top wine store across all the Canary Islands, with over 400 references – pretty much every wine from every producer is stocked here at some point and prices are some of the most competitive anywhere. Speak with the owner Jacinto in the store to see if anything off-menu is available by the glass. The wine bar next door has an entry level list of wines by the glass, and a great range of Vermut (check out the full bodied, tannic Humboldt vermut) and other beverages, with some simple small plates available to eat.
Tasca Ihuey restaurant (website, Instagram) has an excellent wine cellar, a knowledgeable sommelier, and one of the best choices for local, seasonal dishes.
For those with a bigger budge to blow, El Taller de Seve Diaz (website, Instagram) next door has a fancier set tasting menu, although we have yet to visit, so cannot comment from first hand experience.
El Sauzal
Casa del Vino (website, Instagram) with a wine store (only selling D.O. wines, so more limited than con Pasión). There’s an interesting museum of wine, some basic wines available for paid tastings, and a restaurant that I have been assured is excellent, where there may be a better choice of wines by the glass than the store. The architecture is charming and there is a small botanical garden to wander around.
La Barrica del Sauzal (Facebook)has an amazing cellar of wines available by the bottle to accompany their Flintstones sized grilled meat. They have a wide variety of simple, entry level wines by the glass.
La Laguna
The place to head to here is the vinoteca in the Gran Hotel (website). Previously managed by local legend Rasa (see La Winoteca below) there is a new somm in town and I have been assured that the selection is still as good as always, when some premium wines were also available by coravin.
Santa Cruz
The capital of Tenerife with a bustling market and ferry terminal. The focus at the market is more on the seafood than the wines, although some excellent entry-level wines from Viñátigo should be available by the glass.
The three top wine spots to try a variety by the glass (or indeed find some premium wines and producers) are:
La Wineteca (website, Instagram) is managed by the legendary sommelier, Rasa. Ask nicely and you may be able to try various wines off-menu. This is the place where winemakers come to drink.
Vinófilos (website) are the major wine wholesaler/distributor in Tenerife and Gran Canaria, with the same owners as Tajinaste, whose wines they feature prominently. A decent selection by the glass can be found at their Santa Cruz store.
Colmado 1917 (website, Instagram) inside the lobby of the Iberostar Heritage Grand Mencey hotel is a small wine venue with 6 counter seats and a 4 seater round table. Excellent selection of wines at premium (for local budgets) prices.
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The above is perhaps the best short-list I know of for exploring Tenerife’s wines, and there are many other restaurants I have been recommended, but have yet to check out, such as:
Donde Mario, La Bodeguita de Enfrente and El Calderito de La Abuela recommended to me by travel writer veteran Ross Clarke (@theguiri)
If you find any others with an excellent choice of wines by the glass, please let me know in the comments below.
See further Instagram posts on Tenerife Wineries by Wine Fogg (may require login): #winefoggtenerife
