The best wine from the Canary Islands is tasted in El Hierro

A total of 251 samples from 65 wineries participate in the Official Agrocanarias Wine Competition 2026, whose first two sessions are being held these days at the headquarters of the Regulatory Council of the El Hierro Denomination of Origin. This edition, whose novelty is the incorporation of a specific category for vermouths, It also stands out for an increase in the number of elaborations participating in a 10% compared to last year.

The contest, organized by the Canarian Institute of Agri-Food Quality (ICCA) with the purpose of recognizing the best productions of the Archipelago with DOP, brings together a panel of 18 specialist tasters in charge of evaluating the participating samples through the blind tasting system; that is to say, without knowing what productions they are analyzing, which appear referenced by numerical codes in order to ensure the anonymity of the wines and the rigor in the evaluations..

During the opening ceremony, the Minister of Agriculture, Cattle raising, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty, Narvay Quintero, highlighted “the high participation of this edition, con 24 samples more than last year despite the decline in wine production recorded in recent campaigns”, due, to a large extent, “to a greater presence of Gran Canaria wineries, “La Palma and Lanzarote”.

“This confirms the importance of this event as a promotional tool and that our wines continue to demonstrate the enormous quality, diversity and uniqueness of Canarian viticulture, thanks to the effort and professionalism of winegrowers, winemakers and winemakers who keep alive a strategic sector for our economy, our landscape and our identity”, he added.

The president of the Cabildo was also present at the meeting., Alpidio Armas; the director of the ICCA, Luis Arraez Guadalupe; the mayor of La Frontera, Pablo Rodríguez Cejas; the first deputy mayor and delegate councilor for Works and Services, Planning, Urbanism, Dwelling, Local Development and Agriculture, Marcos Antonio Casañas Barrera, and the president of the Regulatory Council of the D.O.. Wines from El Hierro, Wolfgang Padron.

For your part, the director of the ICCA, Luis Arraez Guadalupe, He placed special emphasis on the incorporation of the distinction of Best Vermouth Production in the Canary Islands in this edition of the contest., “a production that has gained prominence in the Archipelago in recent years and that adds to the modalities already contemplated in the competition thanks to the commitment of the Canarian wineries to diversification and innovation in line with new market trends”.

The president of the island corporation, Alpidio Armas, referred to the impulse and support provided to the wine sector and its professionals in a framework of institutional collaboration aimed at guaranteeing its stability and economic projection. In this sense, He stressed that it is “a strategic sector not only from the economic point of view, but also for its weight in the identity of El Hierro, an island where wine is part of its culture, tradition and family legacy.

For your part, the mayor of La Frontera, Pablo Rodríguez Cejas, He pointed out that the choice of the municipality as the venue for this edition of the contest is “a gift” and highlighted the relevance of the wine sector for the economy., the landscape and local identity. “La Frontera concentrates most of the wineries on the island and we want it to continue to be a benchmark in the wine field”, stated the first mayor, who also referred to the activities organized by the local corporation in November, wine month.

In this call Ten of the eleven Protected Designations of Origin of the Archipelago are represented.: Canary Islands, con 62 samples from thirteen companies; He sees, con 51 of six wineries; Tacoronte-Acentejo, con 35 wine productions of eleven producers; The Palm, con 27 productions from eight wineries; Gran Canaria, con 24 products from five wineries; Lanzarote, con 17 samples from nine companies; The iron, con 12 wines from five companies; Güímar Valley, con 10 samples from two wineries; La Orotava Valley, con 7 products from three companies; y La Gomera, con 6 wines from three brands.

Depending on the type of grape and the production method, The wines are distributed in different categories: still white wines (95), still red wines (85), semisecos (2), semidulces (29), sweets (11), sweet malvasias (3), dry rosés (12), tea wines (2) and sparkling (6), in addition to the new type of vermouths (6). Besides, The production of white and red wines corresponds, according to the rules of the competition, to the crops of 2025, 2024 and previous.

The tasting panel will be in charge of determining the Great Gold Medals with their evaluations, Gold Medals and Silver Medals of the competition in the respective categories, as well as special distinctions for the Best Wine of the Canary Islands, Better ecological wine from the Canary Islands, Best Preparation of Vermouth from the Canary Islands and Best Image and Presentation. Added to these recognitions is the Best Wine chosen by the Winemakers of the Canary Islands., which will be decided through a tasting carried out by these professionals and which will take place next 19 May in Tenerife.

The product chosen as the Best Wine of the Canary Islands 2026 Among all the productions presented, they must correspond to qualified items and commercial brands available on the market.. The winning wine will star in a report that will be published on the ICCA website and sent to general and specialized media in agricultural and gastronomic information for dissemination.. Besides, All distinguished productions will be able to use the official badge awarded for one year and will participate in the promotion and dissemination actions that the ICCA organizes throughout the year.. In addition, The Institute will assume the registration and logistics costs of those wineries admitted to the Agrocanarias Contest that participate in the annual contest of the Research Center., Studies, Protection, Coordination and Valorization of Mountain Viticulture (DEER), as well as the logistical expenses linked to the national wine competition determined by the Vine and Wine Council.