Canary Wine: a journey through history

The Lercaro House, headquarters of the Museum of History and Anthropology of Tenerife, hosted last Friday afternoon 17 October book presentation Canary Wine: a journey through history, a work edited by Canary Islands Protected Designation of Origin – Canary Wine, with editorial management by Cultania, that covers the role of wine in the economic configuration, social and cultural of the Canary archipelago from its origins to the present.

The act, which was attended by more than sixty people, It opened with the intervention of the presenter Alex Guillén and had the institutional welcome of John Jesus Mendez Siverio, president of the Canary Islands DOP – Canary Wine, and of Eduardo García Cabello, Deputy Minister of Primary Sector of the Government of the Canary Islands. Both highlighted the value of this publication as a testimony to the historical weight of Canarian wine and as a tool to disseminate its wine identity..

In the words of Juan Jesus Mendez, president of the Canary Islands DOP – Canary Wine: “I am very satisfied with the presentation of the third volume of the Canary Wine Library. I want to express my deep gratitude to the wine sector for their assistance and constant support., as well as the authors for the extraordinary work they have done. I trust that, like the previous two volumes, This new delivery becomes a tool of great value for all people linked to the world of wine in the Canary Islands.”

Three views for a common story

The presentation of the book was carried out by its three coordinators, that offered different complementary perspectives on the project. Javier Luis Alvarez Santos, professor of Modern History at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and researcher at the University Institute of Textual Analysis and Applications, explained the relevance of wine as an articulating element of the history of the Canary Islands and as a symbol of cultural and economic exchange with the rest of the world. John Jesus Mendez Siverio, Graduate in Chemical Sciences and oenologist, with extensive experience in the educational and wine fields, highlighted the joint effort of all the authors and the importance of preserving the historical memory of a product that is part of the essence of the archipelago. For your part, Joshua Ramos Martin, historian specialized in intangible cultural heritage and gastronomic tourism, founder and managing partner of Cultania, stressed the need to bring historical knowledge closer to the general public through informative language that connects research with emotion.

During his interventions, The authors agreed that this work represents an exercise in memory and dissemination that aims to value the Canarian wine legacy and project it to new generations., reinforcing collective awareness about the cultural weight of wine in the identity of the islands.

A dialogue about past and future

The day continued with a round table entitled “Past and future of Canary Wine”, in which they participated Francisco Fajardo, David Martin Marcos, Marta García Cabrera y Juan Jesus Mendez, moderated by the gastronomic journalist Fran Belin. The debate revolved around the historical milestones that marked the expansion of Canarian wine in the 16th and 17th centuries., current challenges in sustainability, innovation and competitiveness, and the future prospects of a sector that continues to be a driver of rural development and ambassador of the Canary Islands in the world..

The event concluded with a toast and a tasting of Canary Islands DOP wines – Canary Wine in the patio of the Lercaro Palace, in a relaxed atmosphere that celebrated the wine identity of the archipelago and the bond that unites its producers, wineries and institutions with a history that is still alive.

About the book

Canary Wine: A journey through history tells the story of Canarian wine as a protagonist in the history of the archipelago., from its origins after the European conquest to its international recognition under the Canary Wine brand. Through an informative approach and supported by academic research, The work highlights the role of wine in economic construction, social and cultural of the Canary Islands, as well as contemporary efforts to preserve and disseminate this unique legacy. It is a journey that connects past and present through Canarian wine, projecting into the future the essence of a tradition that is part of the soul of the archipelago.