Tenerife Bodegas Monje Winery Tour with Wine and Cheese Tasting

Bodegas Monje gives you two good reasons to leave Tenerife’s main resort areas: four locally made wines paired with four Canarian cheeses, and a fine view across the vineyards toward Mount Teide and the Atlantic. The family-run winery also has an unusual cellar, art displays, and rooms used for special events.

I like the small maximum of 10 people and the way each wine has its own cheese match. I also like that the tasting features distinctive island wines, including carbonic-macerated Hollera and barrel-aged Listán Negro. The main caution is that the tour is short, and the tasting can feel rushed or noisy if it takes place near the shop.

Key points to know before you book

• Four wines, four island cheeses: Taste Dragoblanco, Hollera, Monje Tradicional, and Listán Negro with cheeses from Tenerife, La Palma, Fuerteventura, and Gran Canaria.
• The views are part of the experience: From the winery, you may see Mount Teide, the Atlantic, and the surrounding fields.
• English tours run at set times: On Saturday and Sunday, the English sessions are at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• The group is limited to 10 people: That usually makes questions and conversation easier than at a large commercial tasting.
• The tour stays inside the winery: You see the cellar, equipment, barrels, and production areas, but this is not a long walk through the vineyard rows.
• Plan your ride carefully: Bodegas Monje is in El Sauzal, and taxi costs from the cruise port can be high.

Bodegas Monje in El Sauzal: a winery with a view

Bodegas Monje sits at C. Cruz de Leandro, 36, in El Sauzal, north of Tenerife. This is wine country rather than resort Tenerife, and the setting changes the mood at once. You are surrounded by fields and open views instead of hotel blocks, with the coast and Mount Teide providing the big backdrop.

The winery is family-run, and the visit gives you a look at how its wines are made, stored, and presented. You will see production equipment, barrels, cellar spaces, and rooms that are also used for gatherings. The building has more character than a simple tasting counter, with art shown on one level and a lower area used for parties and events.

I would not book this expecting a full agricultural tour. The visit takes place inside the winery, and you should not count on walking through extensive vineyard rows or seeing grapes on the vines. If you come outside the harvest period, the fields may be bare. The views still make the setting worthwhile, but the focus is wine production, not vineyard work.

What the 90-minute visit actually includes

The advertised experience lasts about 90 minutes, although some schedules describe the activity as taking up to two hours. That difference matters if you are fitting the visit between a cruise arrival, a meal, or another Tenerife sight.

The visit combines a guided walk through the winery with four wine samples and four cheese pairings. Depending on the time slot and the day, the order can change. The tasting may happen first, followed by the tour at the next set time. A 4 p.m. booking, for example, can mean tasting first and the English tour at 5 p.m.

That schedule can feel slightly odd, but it is useful to know before you arrive. You might begin with wine and cheese, then move into the production rooms, rather than following a simple tour-then-tasting sequence. The activity has set times, yet the tour and tasting may be separated by a short wait.

The English tours are offered alongside Spanish tours. Guides including Irine, Claudia, and Sonya have led English-speaking groups, and the quality of the visit depends partly on which guide and staff arrangement you encounter. A good guide can make the production methods and island wine traditions easy to follow, while a busy day may feel less personal.

Four wines, four cheeses, and a useful tasting lesson

The tasting is the heart of the experience. You receive four home-produced wines, each matched with an artisanal Canarian cheese. This is more interesting than sampling four unrelated glasses because you can see how salt, smoke, age, and pepper affect the wine.

The pours are generous enough to give you a proper taste, though the exact pace can vary. Take a moment with each pairing instead of treating the tasting as four quick drinks. The wines are mostly dry, so anyone expecting sweet wines should keep that in mind.

Dragoblanco with fresh Tenerife goat cheese

The first glass is Dragoblanco, a young white wine. It comes with a fresh white goat cheese from Tenerife.

This is the lightest and simplest opening pairing. The fresh cheese gives you a clean starting point before the tasting moves into heavier reds and firmer cheeses. If you prefer white wine, this may be your favorite of the four.

Hollera with smoked La Palma goat cheese

Next comes Hollera, a red made using carbonic maceration. That method gives the wine a different character from a standard young red, and it is one of the more distinctive details in the tasting.

The match is smoked goat cheese from La Palma. The smoke adds weight and a savory edge, helping you notice how a red wine handles stronger flavors. If you are curious about wine styles beyond familiar supermarket labels, this is one of the most useful glasses in the sequence.

Monje Tradicional with peppery Fuerteventura cheese

Monje Tradicional is a young red served with a semi-cured, peppery goat cheese from Fuerteventura.

Here the cheese is firmer and more assertive. The pepper gives the pairing a little bite, while the young red remains approachable. This is a good point in the tasting to compare the texture of the cheese with the softer first pairing.

Listán Negro with cured Gran Canaria cheese

The final wine is Listán Negro, a red aged in the barrel. It is paired with cured goat and sheep milk cheese from Gran Canaria.

This is the most substantial pairing of the four. The cured cheese has a longer, saltier flavor, and the barrel-aged red gives the tasting a proper finish. If you enjoy fuller reds, this will likely be the glass you remember most.

The cheese selection is one of the strongest parts of the experience because it connects the tasting to several Canary Islands rather than presenting only products from Tenerife. The cheeses are not elaborate tasting-menu portions, but they are enough for the four wines and make the $42.24 price easier to justify.

The guide makes a real difference

At its best, the tour is conversational and clear. Guides such as Claudia, Irine, and Sonya have been praised for answering questions, switching between Spanish and English, and adding humor to the explanation. With only 10 people, you should have a fair chance to ask about the wines, cellar, production, or local vineyards.

The visit also covers the winery’s background and the development of wine in the Canary Islands. That context helps explain why the tasting is not just a standard white-and-red lineup. Tenerife and the other islands have their own grapes, methods, and cheese traditions, and the pairings give you a compact introduction to that local food culture.

Still, the staffing and setting can affect the tone. On a quiet day, you may receive warm, attentive service. On a busy day, one staff member may be covering the shop, tour, and tasting. That can lead to long pauses, an uneven pace, or a tasting that feels hurried at the end.

The tasting may also take place in a room connected to the shop. If customers are shopping or talking nearby, the setting can be louder and less comfortable than a dedicated tasting room or terrace. When conditions allow, a terrace tasting with views over the fields is the better version of the experience.

The wine and cheese pairing is the value center

At $42.24 per person, this is not the cheapest way to drink local wine in Tenerife. A restaurant glass can cost far less, and you should not book this solely to receive four pours.

The price covers the guide, winery visit, four wine samples, four cheese pairings, snacks, alcoholic drinks listed in the program, and the 7% IGIC tax. You are paying for the setting, the explanation, the cellar access, and the chance to taste several island products side by side.

I see the value most clearly if you enjoy wine, cheese, local food, or historic food businesses. The price is also reasonable for a small group of up to 10 people, especially when the guide gives a proper explanation and the tasting happens on the terrace.

The value is weaker if your main goal is a long vineyard walk, a technical wine course, or a large amount of food. The tour is short, and some of the explanations may be brief. You are buying a pleasant introduction, not a full-day wine study.

You can purchase additional wine and other products at the winery. Food and drinks not specified in the tasting are extra, and the experience does not include hotel or cruise-port transfers.

Getting to El Sauzal without an unpleasant surprise

The winery is easy to identify as a meeting point, but getting there is the part that deserves planning. It is not a hotel pickup excursion, and you must arrange your own transport.

Taxi costs from the cruise port can be significant. One practical approach is to ask the driver to wait, if you are arriving from a port or a remote starting point. That adds a small fee, but it may be cheaper and less stressful than trying to find a return taxi in a rural area.

A bus can also work. From Santa Cruz, the journey has been described as about 20 minutes by one route, with a longer ride of more than 50 minutes by another, and the fare can be very low. Since routes and timing can vary, check the local schedule before setting out and leave room for delays.

If you are driving, designate a non-drinking driver. The tasting includes four alcoholic beverages, and the most sensible plan is to treat the winery as the destination rather than a quick stop between other attractions.

The terrace, Mount Teide, and the Atlantic

The views are a major reason to choose Bodegas Monje over a tasting room in town. On a clear day, you may look across grape fields toward Mount Teide and out to the Atlantic Ocean.

The view is especially useful because the tasting itself is fairly compact. Sitting with a glass and cheese plate while looking across the fields turns a short activity into a slower break in the day. Sunset can add a romantic touch, though weather is never guaranteed. Cloud and cool temperatures can also change the feel of the visit, so bring a comfortable coat.

The terrace is not guaranteed for every group or time slot. You may taste inside, particularly if the weather is poor or the winery is busy. Even indoors, the building offers cellar rooms and displays, but the outdoor setting is the part most likely to make the visit memorable.

Practical details that affect your day

This experience is for adults aged 18 and over. Most people can take part, but you should tell the provider about dietary needs when booking. A vegetarian option is available if requested in advance.

Wear comfortable shoes and a coat. You are visiting a working winery, and the cellar areas may be cooler than the terrace or restaurant. Comfortable footwear also makes sense for moving between the different rooms.

English tours are available, but the timing is fixed. On Saturday and Sunday, English sessions are at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. If you select 4 p.m., the tasting may begin at that time, with the English tour at 5 p.m. Read the time carefully so you do not arrive expecting the tour to start immediately.

Confirmation is sent when availability is confirmed. You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the local start time. Cancellations or changes within 24 hours are not refunded or accepted.

Who will enjoy Bodegas Monje most

I would recommend this for couples, small groups, wine beginners, and anyone who wants to see a quieter side of Tenerife. The four island cheeses give non-experts something concrete to compare, and the short length makes the activity easy to add to a day in the north.

It also suits cruise passengers who want a break from the port, provided they arrange reliable transport and leave plenty of time for the return trip. The view and setting offer a different side of Tenerife from the usual city or beach stops.

Wine enthusiasts will find enough unusual details to make the visit worthwhile, especially the carbonic-macerated Hollera, barrel-aged Listán Negro, and the island-by-island cheese matches. I would set expectations correctly, though. This is an introduction to Bodegas Monje, not a technical masterclass.

I would hesitate to recommend it to someone who dislikes dry wine, wants a long outdoor vineyard walk, or expects an extensive meal. The tasting portions are designed to accompany the tour, not replace lunch. If you prefer a quiet, formal tasting room, the shop setting on a busy day may also disappoint.

Should you book the Bodegas Monje tour?

Book it if you want good local pairings, strong views, and a short guided introduction to Tenerife wine. The four wines and four cheeses give you a clear reason to visit, and the small group size can make the experience friendly and personal.

Before booking, confirm the English time, arrange your ride, and ask for the vegetarian option if needed. If you can visit when the terrace is open, the views of Mount Teide and the Atlantic add real value.

Skip it if your idea of a winery visit means walking through active vineyards, spending half a day among the vines, or taking a detailed professional course. For everyone else, Bodegas Monje is a pleasant north Tenerife outing with enough food, wine, and scenery to earn its place on a well-planned day.

FAQ

How long does the Bodegas Monje winery tour last?

The activity is estimated at about 90 minutes, although some scheduling information allows up to two hours. The tasting and tour may take place at separate times.

What wines are included in the tasting?

You taste Dragoblanco, Hollera, Monje Tradicional, and Listán Negro. The program includes one young white, three red wines, a carbonic-macerated red, and a barrel-aged red.

What cheeses are paired with the wines?

Dragoblanco comes with fresh white goat cheese from Tenerife. Hollera is served with smoked goat cheese from La Palma. Monje Tradicional comes with semi-cured peppery goat cheese from Fuerteventura, and Listán Negro with cured goat and sheep milk cheese from Gran Canaria.

Are English tours available?

Yes. Bodegas Monje offers visits in Spanish and English. On Saturdays and Sundays, the English tour times are 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.

What happens if I book the 4 p.m. time?

The tasting may take place first at 4 p.m., followed by the English tour at 5 p.m. Tour and tasting times can be arranged before or after the set time.

Is transport included?

No. You must meet at Bodegas Monje in El Sauzal, and the experience ends there. Hotel or cruise-port pickup and drop-off are not included.

Can I cancel the booking?

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the local start time for a full refund. Cancellations and changes made less than 24 hours before the start are not accepted or refunded.