We arrive from Lanzarote, and Bodegas Monje is just a stone’s throw from Tenerife North Airport. We come from full summer and, with a single 40‑minute flight, suddenly find ourselves in the middle of winter. But by now we’re used to it: when there’s a volcano in the middle, the north is winter and the south — barely 30 kilometers away — is summer.
A few kilometers later, we reach Bodegas Monje, a stop recommended by Alejandro Besay, winemaker at La Geria in Lanzarote.
We arrive at lunchtime, and together with Alberto Monje we decide to postpone the visit until after we’ve eaten. A postponement we welcome — eagerly, even — given the beautiful location of their restaurant, and especially after taking a look at the menu.
So, after pleasantly passing the time with a “Cochino negro asado al horno de leña con chayota confitada dulce y majado de la tierra,” we begin a tour with Alberto, the winery’s winemaker.
As I like to say, we are in “the other Tenerife,” the northern one — the part that hasn’t been overwhelmed by urban developments that have diminished the island’s charm. The part made of traditions and, once again, family‑run wineries. Wineries where new generations — the Monje family is now in its sixth generation — choose to stay and continue rather than leave. Wineries where, as Alberto kindly points out, vine growers aren’t necessarily over 60…
But when it comes to the vineyards, the cellar, and the wines of Bodegas Monje, I’d rather let the video speak — long but smooth. What I’d like to highlight instead is the full 360‑degree experience Alberto introduced me to. From food to vineyards, passing through a cellar rich with history, then moving into an area dedicated to art and performances. And then the Wine Club, with a space for members to store their bottles.
And still within the club, a space used to host tastings and events as part of their “Wine&Sex” initiative… A brilliant approach, one that lets you “veer off course” from the usual way wine is presented. I read on the website: Degustación Enológica, Experiencia Erótica (con luces tenues y lujuria) y Festín Gastronómico (afrodisíacos y productos de mercado) — is there really anything to add?
And then, of course, the wine — with the indigenous Listán Negro taking center stage. To conclude, I want to use a simple but meaningful word: Hospitality. The kind I found in this “real” part of Tenerife. A stop not to be missed if you love wine, if you love good food, and if you appreciate things that are beautiful, different, and well made
