Tenerife is heading north for one of Spain’s big dates in the food calendar, with the island returning as an official sponsor of San Sebastián Gastronomika from 5 to 7 October.
The event takes place at the Kursaal Palace and this year has an extra reason to celebrate, marking the 50th anniversary of New Basque Cuisine.
Tenerife will be using the event to put its wines, local produce and chefs in front of an audience that includes some fairly serious names from the culinary world.
A Tenerife and Basque Country link-up
The event will open with a formal twinning ceremony between Tenerife and the Basque Country.
As part of that, chef Alberto Margallo will create a special pintxo alongside Tenerife chefs Jesús Santamaria and Patxi Bergara.
The pintxo will then be available throughout the congress, including in the VIP areas and at the opening dinner.
Lope Afonso, Vice President and Tourism Councillor of the Cabildo de Tenerife, said events such as San Sebastián Gastronomika are important for positioning Tenerife as a gastronomic destination and giving the island’s producers and businesses access to professionals from across the industry.
48 wineries and 70 wines
Wine will be a major part of Tenerife’s presence.
Around 48 wineries will showcase 70 different wines, with approximately 315 bottles being taken to the event.
The aim is to put Tenerife’s wine in front of restaurateurs, sommeliers, oenologists and food journalists who may not have explored the island’s wine scene before.
And there is rather more to Tenerife wine than simply ordering something cold and hoping for the best.
The island’s distinctive volcanic landscape and range of growing conditions have helped create a wine scene that is increasingly getting attention outside the Canaries.
An immersive Tenerife stand
Tenerife’s stand will cover around 200 square metres, combining an immersive restaurant experience with a dedicated Wine Tunnel.
There will be breakfasts, workshops, tastings and signature lunches, with themes including ‘bites of wine’ and the Atlantic diet.
Visitors will also get the chance to experience some of Tenerife’s traditional produce and dishes alongside its wines.
Chefs, wine and a goat
There will be plenty of demonstrations during the three-day event.
One of the highlights will be a masterclass from chef Erlantz Gorostiza, while renowned sommelier Miguel Ángel Millán will lead a tasting featuring wines from Tenerife’s six designated origins.
And then there’s the goat.
A live demonstration of butchering a Tenerife goat is also planned.
Not quite sure how that will go down with everyone at a gastronomic congress, but it certainly gives people something to talk about over lunch.
Throughout the event, well-known Tenerife chefs will prepare lunch menus, accompanied by wine tastings and traditional dishes from the island.
Dimple Melwani, CEO of Turismo de Tenerife, said the anniversary of New Basque Cuisine makes this year’s event particularly significant and provides an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between Tenerife and the Basque Country.
For Tenerife, it’s also a chance to remind a room full of food professionals that the island’s culinary offering goes considerably further than hotel buffets and chips.