The jury convened by the University of La Laguna through its Chair of Agritourism and Wine Tourism of the Canary Islands, which has the support of the Canary Islands Institute of Agri-food Quality, has made public the decision of its awards, which are celebrating their eleventh edition.
The Enogastronomy Tourism Award, in the Business Initiative category, has been awarded to El Rebusco Bodegas. The heritage and love for agriculture of two families has brought together two young entrepreneurs, Javier Luaces and Deborah Díaz, who are following in their grandparents' footsteps, uniting estates in the highlands of Arafo and the midlands of Candelaria into a single project. Their main objectives are to promote the rich winemaking traditions and natural environment of the midlands, to raise awareness of the winemaking history of the Güímar Valley, and to highlight the traditions, landscape, culture, and gastronomy. The winery is developing wine tourism activities, offering guided tours and tastings that are allowing them to share the values and history of the Valley with a large number of tourists who have visited them in the last three years, coming from more than 30 countries.
The Enogastronomy Tourism Award in the Promotional Action category has been granted to the tour operator El Cardón NaturExperience. Founded in the heart of the Teno Rural Park in Buenavista del Norte, it has proven to be a leader in promoting ecotourism, agritourism, and wine tourism in the Canary Islands. Its dedication to sustainable development, innovation in its tourism offerings, and commitment to education and community collaboration make it a worthy recipient of this award. From its inception, cultural heritage has been omnipresent in its tourism experiences, particularly its offerings linked to traditional agricultural activities and their subsequent enhancement through gastronomy.
The Wine and Gastronomy Tourism Award for Best Municipality in Macaronesia has been awarded to the town of La Orotava. This municipality has always demonstrated a deep sensitivity and commitment to its primary sector, in which viticulture and winemaking have held special significance due to their historical roots in the entire valley. Since practically its founding, La Orotava has been linked to wine production and its commercialization as a means of livelihood. It is upon this long-standing heritage that the town's new wine sector has been built. Thanks to the efforts of its winegrowers, winemakers, and technicians, they have managed to restore the image of local wines, offering a wide variety of excellent quality red and white wines. This has led other economic sectors in La Orotava to join in this boom and the excellence of local wines, actively participating in various restaurant and rural tourism initiatives, where La Orotava wines are prominently featured.
Finally, the Rafael Armas Benítez Award has been given to winemaker Pedro Domingo Rodríguez Pérez, a professional deeply connected to the land, and specifically to viticulture, since his early years in Güímar, the southern Tenerife municipality where he grew up. A winemaker by trade, shears in hand, he enjoys strolling through Tenerife's vineyards, sharing time with the older winegrowers. He never tires of learning and takes every opportunity to ensure his team continues their training with the best professionals. This passion for viticulture made him a worthy recipient of the San Andrés Award in 2019. In his more than 30 years as a winemaker, he has participated in training projects and served as a judge in prestigious national and international wine competitions, earning him, as mentioned earlier, the affection and respect of the entire industry. Currently, he combines his work as a winemaker at the Cumbres de Abona Regional Winery with consulting for a number of wineries on the islands of Tenerife and La Gomera.
The University of La Laguna awards ceremony will be held this year in the municipality of Arona, on the occasion of the ninth International Meeting of Enogastronomy Tourism of the Canary Islands, on July 18.
(Note and image provided).
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