HISTORY AND CULTURE
GRAN CANARIA WINE ROUTE
The Gran Canaria Wine Route is developed within the frame of protection and production of the Gran Canaria Protected Designation of Origin, which includes the entire surface of the Island. It is the only extra-peninsular Wine Route in Spain and that makes it an exotic jewel, in a unique sensory journey through its wine, its nature, its traditions and its people.
By following the Gran Canaria Wine Route you will explore the most unknown side of our “miniature continent”, an expression that comes from the climatological, ecological and morphological complexity treasured by this island; an environmental diversity in which humans have built their own landscapes and whose cultural foundation lies precisely in how the inhabitants of Gran Canaria have conceived and adapted their lives, forms and spaces to all those complexities, whose result is nothing less than an infinite island. Come and discover it!
Gran Canaria differs from other wine tourism destinations and wine regions due to the irregular morphology of its territory, the fragmented vineyard landscape, its wineries enclosed in protected areas, the Biosphere Reserve and its specific agricultural practices.
The Gran Canaria Wine Route lays its foundations on the connection between wine and local gastronomy, the products of our primary sector, food sovereignty and traditions. A system where you will play an essential role during your visit, contributing to the economic and environmental development of the island, giving a meaning to the word “sustainability”. It is time to feel the landscape. Let yourself be seduced by the Gran Canaria Wine Route, feel welcomed by our idiosyncrasy and hospitality. Get the chance to experience first hand our slogan: “We make wines and we bottle landscapes”.
LOCATION AND CONTACT
MORE INFORMATION
KNOWS OUR ROUTE
THE WINE
GRAN CANARIA’S WINES ARE UNIQUE.
The wines in Gran Canaria are like the Island itself, a sum of unique nuances which deserve to be discovered. Its uniqueness is due to environmental conditions such as climate, soil, the altitude at which the vineyard is located -from 95 m to 1450 m above sea level- and a wide range of grape varieties, made up of 24 local varieties.
Wines that bottle a dynamic vineyard landscape where humans and environment build a connection through predominantly manual agricultural practices. The strong character of our wines and their limited availability are at the core of our exclusive production and great tourism relevance.
In our wines you will feel a certain Atlantic and volcanic character, which makes them so unique.
Taste the peculiarity of wines whose grapes proceed from vineyards blessed by the benefits of Trade Winds, located in steep slopes of volcanic soil, geologically more recent. Feel the different taste of those wines typical of the vineyards located in the southwest slope, downwind, on the hard, arid and basaltic soils typical of the most ancient part of the island. White wines smell like white flowers and fruits, citrus and tropical fruits, with notes of aniseed. These are fresh and light wines, usually young, with a good aromatic intensity and made with grapes of the Malvasia, Muscat of Alejandría, Verdello, Vijariego Blanco, Marmajuelo or Listán lanco.
Red wines are well-structured. Aromas of red and black fruits, blue flowers such as lavender and violet and spices are dominant.
Red wines made with varieties such as Listán Negro, Negramoll, Tintilla or Baboso Negro are the ones which stand out. You will also have the chance to taste, among our references, rosé wines and explore the world of sweet wines, white as well as red.
Elixirs in the morning, a heavenly sunset or an evening under the stars. For moments to share with friends, even on your own, in contemplative, meditative moments or reading a good book. As an appetiser, before main meals or celebrations, D.O.P Gran Canaria wines pair with the mountains, the sea and the music. Choose your wine and create your own happy moment!
RESOURCES
The Gran Canaria Wine Route is a combination of experiences associated with a product in strong connection to the territory, to the culture and to the people of Gran Canaria. You will be able to chart your own route by joining the different points linked to the wine of Gran Canaria, approaching the tradition and the excellence of its wineries, the taste of its gastronomy and the beauty of its landscapes. The combinations are endless and each experience in Gran Canaria’s Wine Route is unique.
Feel welcomed by our winemakers, settled and working in unique rural spaces: Protected Natural Areas, the Biosphere Reserve and its closest surroundings. Enjoy the peculiar gastronomic experience of our bochinches: they only open in certain seasons. Enjoy how our restaurants combine avant-garde cuisine with the most traditional dishes, always putting a high value on the richness of our local products.
Visit our coffee and aloe plantations, discover the secrets of our honey and a wide range of delicious cheese.
Visit our fishermen’s associations and enjoy all the goods of the Atlantic, our fish markets and the art of artisanal fishing.
In all the wine shops and specialized stores associated with the Route you will find products from the primary sector and from our rural landscape. In our houses and rural hotels among the vineyards you will find a perfect location to take a well-deserved rest after a day full of adventures. You will enjoy a good local wine, before continuing with your trip.
Enjoy all the wine experiences, excursions and other active tourism that the Gran Canaria Wine Route has in store for you. Our official guides have a deep knowledge of Gran Canaria’s resources, products and wines. They will help you explore this fairytale island.
HERITAGE
GRAN CANARIA: A NATURAL, CULTURAL AND VARIETAL TREASURE.
The history of wine in the Canary Islands dates back five hundred years, when Vitis vinifera was introduced during the first years of the Castilian colonization. Even so, our affiliation to the world of viticulture has been one of the most recent in the Spanish territory. Recent is also the D.O.P de Vinos de Gran Canaria, created in 2006, as well as our incorporation to the Wine Routes of Spain in 2021, as route number thirty-three of this network of wine tourism destinations.
Such a young spirit is reflected in our wines, in their production process, in the challenge of the current generational replacement and its associated institutions, organizations and entities.
We are an authentic coupage: a mixture of cultures. Thanks to its geographical location and the benefits of its climate the Canarian Archipelago behaves as a bridge between the European, the African and the American continents. It was a strategic point in the Atlantic expansion of the old continent and a target of attacks by pirates and corsairs. For centuries wine was the most important economic engine of the Canary Islands, becoming the main wine exporting territory in the known world.
Natural Spaces and Biosphere Reserve.
The vast majority of the establishments associated with the Gran Canaria Wine Route are located in Protected Natural Areas and in rural settings. In addition, the southern half of the Island, the so-called “Paleocanaria” -the oldest in geological terms- is a Biosphere Reserve: emblematic areas of unique ecological value located in terrestrial, coastal and marine environments, in which the integration of humans and their economic activities are essential to preserve biodiversity.
Add a stop to your route by one of the viewpoints of the Gran Canaria “Mirador” Lookout Network : lookout points which are essential to understand the geological and ecological complexity of the island and to admire the breathtaking views that these privileged landscapes offer.
The Cultural Landscape of Risco Caído and the Sacred Mountains of Gran Canaria
This place of unique value is listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The indisputable connection between humans and the environment they inhabited, as well as their astrology, is disclosed in the middle of a landscape of ravines, cliffs and volcanic formations.
We highlight the archaeological value of Gran Canaria, with a network of more than 1000 archaeological sites, including pre-Hispanic sites and remains dated from the conquest and colonization of the island. A past which is more recent than we think. The Museo-Parque Arqueológico Cueva Pintada in Gáldar, multiple visitable sites, interpretation centers and sacred places all over the island are all places where you will appreciate their strong bond with the surrounding natural monuments: the sky, the culture and the way of living of our ancestors.
An exciting journey into the past that is still being studied. Do you want to join to this investigation?
The declared Historic Centers.
The colonization of the Canary Islands after their annexation to the Crown of Castile had, as an immediate consequence, the rise of cities, towns and places. Some cities arose on old indigenous settlements and some others were created ex novo. The legal and administrative array, the location, the relationship with the environment and different economic activities have shaped their character, image and structure.
We invite you to discover more than twenty of them, to walk through the streets, to know the architecture, to enjoy their colorful pictures and, of course, to have a glass of wine while you are engaged in your research on their historical evolution.
Gran Canaria and its important viticultural heritage.
The winegrowers of Gran Canaria have been able to adapt plants thanks to specific cultural practices that, together with the environmental conditions existing on each slope, in each valley, on each hillside, result in small cultivation plots that form their own landscape within the landscape. A hidden, fragmented vineyard landscape waiting to be discovered, which shows up with a variety of colors and configurations that are emblematic in Gran Canaria. This diversity of conditions, together with the extensive and exclusive varietal heritage that this island treasures, turns into an extraordinary oenological diversity.
The Canary Islands are one among the only four regions in the world to be free of phylloxera: the horrible plague that devastated the majority of the vineyards of the planet at the end of the 19th century. This is the reason why this Archipelago preserves the practice of free-standing vineyards.
This pre-phylloxera viticultural practice has helped maintain grape varieties now extinct or with molecular modifications that made the original variety capable of adapting to the conditions of the territory and be part of the important varietal diversity of the Canary Islands, which is nowadays protected by D.O. Gran Canaria.
FESTIVALS
HOW ABOUT GOING TO A ROMERIA? OR DO YOU PREFER CARNIVAL?
Thanks to the good weather, you will be able to enjoy the many traditional festivals celebrated in every corner of the island, at any time of the year. These moments are a great opportunity to mingle with the locals and learn about their idiosyncrasies: their accent, their customs, their open character and their hospitality. From the most popular and local festivals to the most international ones. You choose!
Well beyond being a pilgrimage, a Romeria in Gran Canaria refers to those traditional festivals of popular nature with a religious background. Most of them offer a good cultural and recreational program. Traditional festivals are the best opportunity to learn about our traditions and folklore: our religious fervor is expressed through songs and dances accompanied by the melody of a timple. Join the cart of a group of friends, association or peña: you will find company, friendship and good food. Within the wide catalog of festivals, we will point out those dealing with any product from our primary sector: a unique opportunity to discover the products that we grow in our land. Agriculture, livestock and fishing in the form of leisure:
- Sugar Cane Festival (Jinámar, Las palmas de Gran Canaria)
- Mud Festival (Firgas)
- Marine pilgrimage of Vará del Pescao (Arinaga Beach, Agüimes)
- Apple Festival (Valleseco). Fiesta of Tourist Interest.
- Tuna and Sea Festival (Mogán)
- Potato Fair (Teror)
- Almond Blossom Festival (Tejeda, Tunte and Valsequillo)
- Avocado and Mango Fair (Mogán)
- Apricot Festival (Fataga, San Bartolomé de Tirajana)
- Traída of Gofio and Water (Agüimes)
It couldn’t be otherwise: we make a special mention to the Bajada of Wine celebrated in September in the municipality of La Vega de San Mateo, one of the wine-growing municipalities of Gran Canaria.
Between February and March, Carnivals, Shrovetides or winter parties are celebrated in all the municipalities of Gran Canaria. The Carnival of the City of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria stands out for being a Fiesta of National Tourist Interest, with its galas, contests, parades and Mogollones, both during the day and at night. After the end of the Carnival of the City of Las Palmas, follows the International Carnival of Maspalomas in the heart of the touristic area of Gran Canaria.
GASTRONOMY
HARMONY, CLOSENESS AND CULTURE.
The Gran Canaria Wine Route is based on the products of the primary sector and shows its full commitment to food sovereignty. To understand and appreciate the culture and lifestyle of Gran Canaria it is important to learn about its gastronomy, its local products and its delicious cuisine.
Take a visit to the restaurants of the Route and taste its traditional and avant-garde cuisine, made from the products of our land. You can’t leave without trying our famous wrinkled potatoes with a delicious Canarian mojo sauce, the Canarian black pork, our wide range of seafood and our internationally awarded cheese. All this paired with D.O.P. Gran Canaria wines.
Ask the restaurants of the Route for their exclusive menu “Ruta del Vino de Gran Canaria”.
You can’t miss our traditional desserts, especially those made with almonds and honey, perfectly paired with the sweet wines of our Denomination of Origin.
As there is no good gastronomy without good products, don’t miss all the agricultural markets, where you can buy local products and wines. Many of them have local craft stalls where you will find special souvenirs. Most of our agricultural markets take place on weekends. You can check their location and opening time on our website.
ACTIVITIES
ORIGINALITY, CREATIVITY AND IDENTITY.
Find out on our website about the experiences that both the wineries and the establishments associated with the Gran Canaria Wine Route have to offer. Check the activities that our local tour operators have designed for you: unique experiences for couples, families or small groups. You will find interesting combinations such as hiking, ornithology or themed tours with a set of wineries, landscapes and wine tastings.
We highlight the following activities:
- Gastronomic trip to the Sacred Mountain organized by Bodega Bentayga in the Bentayga Cultural Landscape and World Heritage Site, a show cooking with products from the Biosphere Reserve, a visit to the winery and wine tasting in an environment of astronomical and gastronomic magic.
- “Circo y Vino” by Bodega San Juan: circus arts and wine tastings in a wine farm of the early 20th century.
- “Bottled Theater” offered by the Bodega and Bochinche los Lirios in summer: a combination of theater, traditional cuisine and their own wines.
Santa Brigida with Wine
Celebrated in the wine-growing town of Santa Brígida in 2014 as leisure and cultural activity related to wine and touristic development, offers a wide program of activities taking place in November. All its proposals are about wine, wine culture and the wineries of Santa Brigida.
Regional Fair of Wine, Cheese and Honey
It takes place at the beginning of November to spread and promote local consumption of products coming from the rural areas of all the Archipelago. It is held by the Midlands Association of municipalities of Gran Canaria, which includes the municipalities of Santa Brígida, Vega de San Mateo, Tejeda, Valsequillo and San Bartolomé de Tirajana.
Gran Canaria Me gusta
It is a fair which promotes the value of the primary and the gastronomic sectors of Gran Canaria, a showcase for inland tourism, where the participating municipalities show their goods and touristic potential.
Its program includes lectures and talks on different products and carries out contests such as the Official Cheese Contest and the Regional Cooking of Gran Canaria. Promoting various public and private entities since 2020, Gran Canaria me gusta counts with its own digital market bearing the same name, where it is possible to choose a store and buy any of the products. They can be delivered at home, including D.O.P Gran Canaria wines.
Cinema + Food
Between August and September the Santa Catalina Park, in the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, hosts the largest open-air cinema of the Canary Islands. Different screens offering a film programme for everyone, live music and areas dedicated to gastronomy. You will taste dishes from very different countries, enjoy live cooking, taste and buy local products, including Gran Canaria wine.
European Cheese Fair
In April the Association of municipalities in the north of Gran Canaria celebrates, among its municipalities, a large open-air exhibition of cheese, hosting regional cheese producers from other areas of Spain, as well as other European countries such as Portugal and Italy. Beyond tastings and activities related to cheese, at the fair it is also possible to buy other products such as wine.
HOW TO GET THERE
CONTACT:
Telephone: 928 640 462
Email: info@rutadelvinodegc.es
Address: Casa del Vino de Gran Canaria. Calvo Sotelo, 26. 35300 Santa Brígida.
