Bodegas Monje Winery Ticket w/Wine Tasting & Mojo Sauce Workshop

The best part of this Tenerife winery visit is not simply tasting wine. You make three traditional Canarian sauces yourself, then eat them with local food and the wines in your glass. The mojo workshop gives the visit a useful, hands-on twist, and cooks such as Moises, Andres, Gaspard, and Alessandro have brought plenty of warmth and humor to the kitchen.

I like the clear pairing of wine with food, especially the Dragoblanco with watercress butter and the red wine with Canarian chorizo and wrinkled potatoes. I also like the small maximum group of 12, which makes it easier to follow the chef and take part. The main consideration is timing: the activity is advertised at about 90 minutes, but some sessions can run closer to two hours, and the order of the tour and tasting can change.

What makes this Bodegas Monje visit worth your time

• Three mojos to make: Prepare coriander mojo, parsley mojo, and red mojo using traditional family recipes.
• Three young wines: Taste Dragoblanco, Hollera, and MonjeTradicional, each served with a matching bite.
• A proper winery visit: See the cellars and learn about Bodegas Monje, Tenerife’s wine production, and the winemaking process.
• A meal you help create: Eat your sauces with local specialties, including wrinkled potatoes and Canarian chorizo.
• Small-group format: The experience accepts a maximum of 12 people, keeping the cooking class personal.
• Several language options: Tours are offered in Spanish and English, with French and German available on selected days.

Making mojo instead of just buying it

Mojo is one of the most useful flavors in Canarian cooking. You’ll often find it with wrinkled potatoes, but it also works with bread, meat, fish, and vegetables. At Bodegas Monje, you do not simply receive a small dish of sauce beside your wine. You learn how it comes together, handle the ingredients, and make your own batch.

The workshop covers three versions: coriander mojo, parsley mojo, and red mojo. Each has a different color and character, and the variety helps you understand why mojo is not one single recipe. The recipes come from family cooking traditions, so this feels closer to a home kitchen lesson than a formal culinary demonstration.

A chef first shows you the professional method. Then you take over and prepare your own sauces. This hands-on step is the reason I would choose this activity over a standard winery tasting. You are not just watching someone work. You are comparing your results with the chef’s and learning how small changes in ingredients affect the final flavor.

The class is also social without requiring you to perform for the group. You work around the same preparation area, follow the instructions, and then sit down to eat together. The cooking is simple enough for a short workshop, but still gives you something practical to repeat at home. A recipe is provided to take with you.

One minor point: the kitchen equipment may be basic. One participant wished for a sharper knife, though that may be a sensible choice during a wine tasting. You should expect a relaxed food workshop, not a professional cooking school.

The three wines and what comes with them

The tasting is built around three young wines from Bodegas Monje. The pairings make the tasting more useful because you can judge the wine with food rather than tasting each glass in isolation.

Dragoblanco with watercress butter

The first glass is Dragoblanco, a young white wine. It comes with watercress butter, a small pairing that brings a savory, herbal note to the opening tasting.

This is a good way to start because the white wine is lighter than the reds that follow. You can focus on its freshness before the sauces and stronger local flavors arrive. The serving is part of the workshop, so the tasting does not feel like a separate formal event.

Hollera with almogrote

Next comes Hollera, a red wine made using carbonic maceration. This winemaking method gives you something different to compare with the other wines, and it is served with almogrote, a strongly flavored Canarian cheese spread.

Almogrote has enough character to hold its own beside a red wine. This pairing also shows how local food can change your perception of a glass. If you usually taste wine without eating, pay attention to how the almogrote brings out different qualities in the Hollera.

MonjeTradicional with chorizo and wrinkled potatoes

The final listed wine is MonjeTradicional, a young red served with Canarian chorizo and wrinkled potatoes. The potatoes are a classic island food, usually prepared with salt and served with mojo.

This is the pairing that brings the workshop together. By this point, you have made your sauces, and you can try them with one of Tenerife’s best-known accompaniments. The chorizo adds another savory, spicy note, so this part feels more like a small meal than a token tasting snack.

The portions are described as tastings and accompanying bites, not a full restaurant lunch. Some sessions may leave you wanting more, especially if you arrive hungry. Bodegas Monje has additional food and drink available to buy, and one useful tip is to consider arriving early for one of the winery’s brunch offerings. A slow-roasted pork dish has received particular praise, and cactus jam is another product worth looking for if you want a small food souvenir.

Touring the winery in El Sauzal

The experience begins at Bodegas Monje on Calle Cruz de Leandro in El Sauzal. The visit includes the winery, cellars, and the winemaking process. You’ll learn about the history of the winery and wine production on Tenerife before moving into the food portion.

The building itself is a key part of the visit. This is not a tasting held in an anonymous hotel room. You are at the source, surrounded by the place where the wine is produced. That setting gives the glasses in front of you some context: you can connect the drink with the cellar, the family business, and the island’s wine culture.

The exact order can vary. The tasting may happen before the tour, or the tour may come first. The listed session times are 11:00, 13:00, and 15:00, but the activity can take place before or after the stated tour time. For example, the tasting may start at noon and the winery visit at 1pm.

That flexible order is not a problem, but you should not expect a minute-by-minute schedule. The full activity is estimated at 90 to 120 minutes. If you have a bus departure, dinner reservation, or another timed attraction immediately afterward, allow extra room.

The guides have included Caleb, who has been praised for his humor and clear explanations, along with chefs such as Alessandro, Moises, Andres, Gaspard, and Ángel. Staff assignments can change, but the experience clearly depends on having a personable guide and an engaged chef. The best part of the visit is likely to be the exchange around the table, not a long lecture about wine.

Why the small group matters

The maximum group size is 12 people. That number is large enough to create a pleasant table atmosphere but small enough for the cooking lesson to remain hands-on.

A larger group could turn the workshop into a demonstration where you barely see the ingredients. Here, you should have a better chance to follow the chef’s movements, ask questions, and prepare your own sauces. It also makes the final meal feel more like a shared activity than a line of people moving through a tasting room.

The small group is especially helpful if you have dietary needs. Vegetarian food is available, but you need to request it when booking. You should also give the provider any other dietary information at that time. Do not wait until you sit down at the table.

The experience is for people aged 18 and older because alcohol is part of the program. Bottled water is included, along with the listed wine and food. Other drinks and extra food can be purchased, but alcoholic drinks not included in the description cost extra.

Price and value at $55.51

At $55.51 per person, this is more expensive than a basic wine tasting. That comparison is not quite fair, since the price includes the winery tour, three wine samples, food pairings, bottled water, a professional guide, and a cooking workshop.

I consider the price reasonable if you want an activity that combines several parts of Tenerife’s food culture. You are paying for instruction and participation, not only for three pours. The recipe to take home adds practical value, and the food pairings help turn the tasting into a light meal.

The value is weaker if you only want to sample wine quickly. A 90 to 120 minute visit with a cooking class is more time than a short tasting, and the workshop is the central feature. You should book this because you want to prepare mojo, not because you are looking for a serious wine seminar.

The chance to buy more wine or local products also gives the visit a useful ending. Some of the winery’s more expensive wines may be available by the glass, rather than limiting you to only the standard tasting pours. That can be worthwhile if you want to compare beyond the three young wines included in the activity.

Timing, language, and what to wear

The meeting point is:

Bodegas Monje

C. Cruz de Leandro, 36

38360 El Sauzal, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

The activity ends back at the winery. The listed start time is 11:00am, with additional sessions at 1pm and 3pm. Check the time assigned to your booking carefully because the published tour and tasting order can vary.

Spanish and English visits are available. French and German tours are offered on selected days. English is specifically offered on weekends at 3pm, so tell the provider your preferred language when booking rather than assuming every time slot operates in English.

Wear comfortable clothing, a coat, and practical footwear. The instruction to bring a coat matters because winery interiors and cellars can feel cool compared with Tenerife’s outdoor temperature. Comfortable shoes will also make the tour easier.

A mobile ticket is accepted, and confirmation is received at booking once availability is confirmed. The experience is popular enough that it is commonly reserved about 12 days ahead, so I would not leave it until the last minute if your dates are fixed.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Changes or cancellations made inside that 24-hour window are not accepted for a refund, with cut-off times based on local time.

Who should book this experience

I would recommend Bodegas Monje to you if food is as important as sightseeing. The workshop gives you a way to learn about Tenerife through ingredients, family recipes, and shared dishes. It suits couples, friends, and small groups who like a relaxed activity with something to do at each stage.

It is also a good choice if you have already tried mojo in restaurants and want to understand the difference between fresh sauce and the mild bottled versions often sold in shops. Making red and green mojo yourself gives you a stronger sense of the ingredients and the balance of flavor.

Wine enthusiasts will find enough interest in the three different styles, especially Hollera and its carbonic maceration method. Still, this is not a technical wine course. If your main goal is vineyard science, barrel aging, or a long list of reserve wines, you may want a more specialized tasting.

Families with children should note the 18-and-over rule. People with strict dietary restrictions should ask about the menu before booking, since the listed pairings include butter, almogrote, chorizo, and other local foods.

Should you book Bodegas Monje?

Book it if you want a compact, sociable taste of Tenerife that combines a winery tour, three wines, local snacks, and a real cooking lesson. The mojo workshop is the feature that makes the $55.51 price easier to justify, and the small group keeps the class from feeling impersonal.

Skip it if you want a quiet, highly technical tasting or a full meal. For most food-focused visitors, though, this is a well-balanced half-day-style outing without the length of a full day tour. Arrive with comfortable shoes, leave room in your schedule, request your language and dietary needs early, and come hungry enough to enjoy the sauces you make.

FAQ

How long does the Bodegas Monje experience last?

The activity is estimated at 90 to 120 minutes. The tour and tasting order can vary, so allow extra time if you have another fixed appointment afterward.

What wines are included?

You receive three glasses of young wine: Dragoblanco, a young white; Hollera, a red made using carbonic maceration; and MonjeTradicional, a young red.

What food is served with the wine?

Dragoblanco comes with watercress butter. Hollera is paired with almogrote. MonjeTradicional is served with Canarian chorizo and wrinkled potatoes.

Which mojo sauces will I make?

The workshop includes coriander mojo, parsley mojo, and red mojo. The sauces follow traditional family recipes, and a recipe is provided to take home.

Is the tour available in English?

Yes. Visits are offered in English and Spanish. French and German are available on selected days, and English sessions are offered on weekends at 3pm.

Where does the tour begin and end?

It begins and ends at Bodegas Monje, C. Cruz de Leandro, 36, 38360 El Sauzal, Tenerife.

Is a vegetarian option available?

Yes, a vegetarian option is available. You need to advise the provider when booking.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the experience are not accepted for a refund.