Why Volcanic Wines Should Be Your Next Obsession

The Island Wine Summit 2025 has already come and gone — a full day in November when Tenerife quietly reminded the world of something locals have known for centuries: this island doesn’t just make wine; it makes character.

While the event gathered sommeliers, wine critics, Masters of Wine and people who can detect “aromas of tension and humidity at 600 metres altitude”, the real star of the show wasn’t the guest list. It was the wine itself — volcanic, aromatic, boldly expressive, and utterly unlike anything you’ve tasted in mainland Spain, let alone elsewhere in Europe.

If you didn’t attend the summit, no worries. The island’s wines are very much here, waiting for you.
And trust me: they’re more memorable than any panel discussion could ever be.

Tenerife: A Wine Island You Didn’t Realise You Needed

Most travellers arrive in Tenerife expecting beaches, sunshine and the emotional healing that only a week away from British weather can provide. What they don’t expect is to discover one of Europe’s most fascinating wine regions — a landscape shaped by lava flows, cooled by Atlantic breezes, and stitched together by centuries-old viticulture that somehow survived everything from phylloxera to tourism booms.

The 2025 summit, held at the Casa del Vino in El Sauzal, served as a preview of a much larger global congress in 2026. But beyond the presentations and impressively serious tasting notes, the event sent a clear message:

Tenerife’s wines belong on the world stage — and in your glass.

Why Tenerife’s Wines Are So Incredibly Distinctive

If you’ve ever taken a sip of local wine here and thought, “Wow, that tastes like nothing else,” you’re absolutely right. Tenerife’s wines are the result of one of the most unusual terroirs in the world — a combination of factors that would be impossible to replicate anywhere else.

1. Volcanic Soils Full of Minerals

Imagine vines growing on ash, basalt, black sand and ancient lava flows.
These soils produce wines with a freshness and salinity that feel almost oceanic, with earthy undertones that come straight from the island’s volcanic spine.

It’s like drinking geology — in a good way.

2. Pre-Phylloxera Vines

While the wine plague of the 19th century wiped out vineyards across Europe, Tenerife survived thanks to its isolation. Many vines here still grow on original rootstock, which sounds scientific but in practice means:
the flavours are pure, intense and wonderfully old-school.

3. A Microclimate Circus

Tenerife has everything from misty forests to blazing beaches within a 30–minute drive. Altitudes shift from sea level to over 1,500 metres. Trade winds sweep in daily. Sun and clouds chase each other constantly.

Vines here live dramatic lives — and their wines taste accordingly.

If You Try Only a Few Local Wines, Make Them These

Let’s skip the technicalities and get to the fun part: what you should order the next time you’re out for dinner in Costa Adeje, Los Cristianos or La Orotava.

🍇 Listán Blanco

Citrus, minerality, a whisper of salinity.
Crisp enough to drink before lunch.
Elegant enough to pretend you know about wine.

🍇 Listán Negro

Fresh red fruit, smoky undertones, light and volcanic.
Imagine a Pinot Noir that’s been on holiday in the Canaries and refuses to go home.

🍇 Malvasía Aromática

Expressive, floral, exotic.
Sometimes dry, sometimes sweet, always memorable.
A historic favourite — Shakespeare himself wrote about Canary wine.

🍇 Vijariego Blanco

Zesty, herbal and sharp in the best possible way.
Perfect with seafood, sunshine, or both.

🍇 Marmajuelo

Rare, tropical, vibrant.
Think passion fruit meets Atlantic breeze.

🍇 Gual

Rich, smooth, full-bodied white.
A wine that says, “Yes, I’m a white, but please take me seriously.”

If you want a simple starting point, look for:

➡️ A dry Malvasía from Valle de la Orotava
➡️ A Listán Negro from Tacoronte-Acentejo
➡️ A crisp Abona white grown high on Teide’s slopes

These never disappoint.

What Actually Happened at the Summit (Without the Technical Nonsense)

The Island Wine Summit wasn’t just a gathering of experts swirling glasses and nodding thoughtfully. It was a celebration — a declaration that island wines deserve their moment in the spotlight.

Here’s the short version:

• There were tastings featuring wines from islands around the world (including Tenerife, Sicily, Corsica, the Azores and Santorini).
• There were deep dives into Tenerife’s volcanic terroir and its unique grape varieties.
• Local producers shared wines made from ancient vines once believed lost.
• And the foundations were laid for selecting the future “Guardian of Tenerife’s Wines” in 2026 — an ambassador tasked with bringing volcanic wines to more tables, more menus and more curious drinkers worldwide.

The event may have been organised for professionals, but the benefits spill over to anyone visiting the island:

👉 **Better wines.

More visibility.
More stories.
More glasses worth raising.**

Why You Should Try Tenerife’s Wines — Even If You Usually Drink Something Else

Because they’re different.
Because they’re bold.
Because they taste like sunshine, trade winds and starlit volcanic slopes.
Because they pair beautifully with Canarian cuisine — from grilled octopus and vieja fish to mojo-rojo-drenched potatoes that convince you carbs are worth every bite.

But most of all:

Because these wines are a pure expression of place — and Tenerife’s place is unforgettable.

Trying local wine here isn’t about being fancy.
It’s about discovering a side of the island most travellers miss.

Final Thoughts

The Island Wine Summit 2025 may be over, but its message remains: Tenerife is no longer a hidden gem in the wine world — it’s an emerging reference point.

So the next time you sit on a terrace, watch the sunset behind La Gomera and contemplate the meaning of life (or your next Instagram post), order a glass of something local.

Let the island’s volcanic wines do the talking.
And who knows — you may just find your new favourite bottle in a place you least expected.