The Fundación Canaria Alhóndiga de Tacoronte announced on 29th April the jury’s decision for the XXXIX Concurso Regional de Vinos Embotellados de Canarias – Alhóndiga 2026, one of the oldest and most prestigious wine competitions in the Canary Islands. The official announcement took place in the Casa de la Cultura in Tacoronte, after two intense days of tasting held over the last 48 hours in a rural hotel in Güímar.
In this edition, 123 samples from different wine-growing areas of the Canary Islands took part, evaluated by a panel of 16 experts from the wine and gastronomy sector. The event was presided over by the mayoress of Tacoronte and president of the Fundación Canaria Alhóndiga, Sandra Izquierdo, together with the councillor for the Primary Sector, Iván Hernández; the secretary of the Technical Committee, Carlos Rodríguez; and the notary of Tacoronte, María José Martínez.
The region of Abona was the main protagonist of the competition with a total of thirteen awards, followed by the Canary Islands with eleven awards. Valle de Güímar won five awards, Tacoronte-Acentejo four and La Palma one.
Among the most outstanding wines of the edition were several “Gran Oro”, the highest distinction of the competition. In the category of dry whites, Pagos de Reverón Mavi Malvasía Aromática 2025, from Abona, and Gallo Alejandro Chana Albillo Criollo 2024, from the Canary Islands, were recognised. In the young reds category, Pico Cho Marcial 2025 and Quíquere 2025 received the highest scores. Pagos de Reverón Rosado Afrutado 2025 also received Gran Oro in the semi-sweet whites and rosés, while Arrorró Blanco Natural Dulce 2021 stood out in the group of other vinifications.
The competition once again highlighted the extraordinary diversity of the Canary Islands’ wine industry, marked by the uniqueness of its volcanic soils, indigenous grape varieties and traditional winemaking methods. The high standard of the samples presented confirmed the excellent moment that the wine sector of the archipelago is going through, increasingly recognised both inside and outside the islands.
One of the special recognitions of this edition was for Gallo Alejandro Chana Albillo Criollo 2024, distinguished with the Special Mention to the Minority Canary Island Single Variety Wine, thus highlighting the importance of preserving and promoting the traditional Canary Island varieties.
The official prize-giving ceremony will be held on Saturday 9 May in the La Alhóndiga building in Tacoronte, in an event coordinated by the Consejo Regulador de Vinos Tacoronte-Acentejo, with institutional representation from the Government of the Canary Islands and the Cabildo of Tenerife.
The prestigious Mariano López Arias Award will also be presented at the gala, which is still in the assessment phase.
With almost four decades of experience, the Alhóndiga Awards continue to consolidate themselves as a fundamental reference for the recognition of the quality and excellence of Canarian wines, also promoting the projection of the wine sector of the Archipelago at regional and national level.
