Tacoronte-Acentejo

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Tacoronte-Acentejo Denominación de Origen (DO) is located in the Anaga Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the island of Tenerife, (Canary Islands, Spain). It was the first region in the Canary Islands to acquire DO status, in 1992. It covers the municipalities of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, El Rosario, Tegueste, Tacoronte, El Sauzal, La Matanza de Acentejo, La Victoria de Acentejo and Santa Úrsula.

Covering 2,400 ha, it is the largest DO in Tenerife and represents 40% of the total cultivated land area and 20% of the vineyards of the island.

There are 2,250 grape-growers and 50 wineries registered with the DO.

1 Geography
2 Soils
3 Climate
4 Grapes
5 References

[edit] Geography

The vineyards are located at altitudes of between 100 and 1,000 m above sealevel. They are planted on terraces on very steep hillsides facing north and looking over the sea.

[edit] Soils

The vines are planted in very fertile soil which is reddish in colour. The soil is poor in carbonates but rich in organic matter and minerals, especially nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. The subsoil is volcanic in origin.

[edit] Climate

The Atlantic Ocean provides a humid climate with mild temperatures and frequent mists. It is basically a Mediterranean climate influenced by the orientation of the island and the steel slopes, which gives rise to a great variety of microclimates. The prevailing trade winds are mild and humid.

Frost is unknown on the island, but hail, strong winds and occasional heatwaves represent risks for grape-growers.

[edit] Grapes

The preferred authorized varieties are as follows:

Red varieties: Listán Negro and Negramoll
White varieities: Gual, Malvasía, Listan Blanco and Marmajuelo.

Also authorized:

Red varieties: Tintilla, Moscatel Negro, Malvasía Rosada, Castellana Negra, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Ruby Cabernet, Syrah, Tempranillo, Bastardo negro or Baboso Negro, Listán Prieto and Vijariego Negro
White varieities: Pedro Ximenez, Verdello, Moscatel, Vijariego, Forastera Blanca, Torrontés, Albillo, Sabro, Bastardo blanco or Baboso Blanco, Breval and Burrablanca

Traditionally the vines were planted as low bushes (en vaso) though newly planted vineyards tend to be on trellises (en espaldera). The maximum authorized planting density is 3,000 vines/ha. In practice the yield is significantly lower than the authorized maximum.