The oldest and most prestigious wine DO in the Canary Islands, established 1992. Located in the green north of Tenerife, stretching from the outskirts of Santa Cruz through Tacoronte, El Sauzal, La Matanza, La Victoria, and Santa Ursula. This is guachinche heartland.
The north gets rain and cloud from the trade winds. The zone sits between 200m and 800m altitude. Soils are volcanic clay and basalt. The result for reds: full-bodied, dark-fruited, with volcanic minerality and high natural acidity. Whites are less common but can be impressive -- Listan Blanco with genuine complexity.
This zone has the highest concentration of guachinches in Tenerife. They open from roughly November through February/March when the year's wine is ready. No fixed addresses online -- ask locally or look for handwritten signs on rural roads through Tacoronte, El Sauzal, and La Matanza.
Tacoronte-Acentejo boundary on OSM
Municipalities: La Laguna (part), Tacoronte, El Sauzal, La Matanza de Acentejo, La Victoria de Acentejo, Santa Ursula