If you’ve ever visited the Casa del Vino in El Sauzal, you’ll know it’s not exactly a place that needs much of an excuse to stop for a glass of wine.
The views are good, the setting is pretty special, and there’s plenty of Tenerife wine to work your way through. All very dangerous if you were only planning to pop in for half an hour.
Now, the Casa del Vino de Tenerife has picked up a Solete award from the Guía Repsol, recognising it as one of the places helping to showcase the island’s food, wine and local identity.
The award was collected by Lope Afonso, Vice President of the Tenerife Cabildo, and Valentín González, Councillor for the Primary Sector.
It came in the Wineries, Wine Shops and Cocktail Bars category and recognises the quality, authenticity and heritage of the wine centre in El Sauzal.
More than just a place to drink wine
The Casa del Vino has become an important showcase for Tenerife’s wine culture over the years.
And with five wine-producing regions on the island, plus grape varieties that you won’t find in many other places, there is plenty worth talking about.
Afonso said the award recognises the work being done to promote local wine while supporting Tenerife’s producers and strengthening the connection between the island’s food, agriculture and tourism.
It’s also recognition for the people behind the bottles.
From the grape growers and winemakers to the staff working at the Casa del Vino, the whole thing only works because there are people putting the effort in long before the wine reaches your glass.
A boost for Tenerife wine
Valentín González also highlighted the importance of the recognition, saying it strengthens the Casa del Vino’s role as a centre for promoting Tenerife’s wine culture and supporting the local sector.
And that’s probably the important bit.
Tenerife produces some genuinely interesting wines, but many visitors still arrive with little idea of what the island has to offer beyond a cold beer by the pool.
Nothing wrong with that, obviously.
But if a visit to the Casa del Vino encourages a few more people to discover a local Listán Negro, a volcanic Malvasía or something they’ve never tried before, then the Solete is doing its job.
The Casa del Vino now has another award to add to the shelf.
Hopefully, they’ve got a decent bottle open to celebrate.