A short visit that tastes like more. This family-run Tenerife bodega pairs a guided cellar walk with a four-wine tasting matched to Canarian cheeses, all in a small group. I love the mix of practical winemaking talk plus an easy-to-follow flight of wines, and I also like that the setting is rural and scenic rather than a rushed tasting room. One thing to consider: it’s brief, and if you want long vineyard wandering, you may find the experience is mainly inside their winery spaces.

If you’re choosing this tour for the view and the food pairing, it delivers. The wine-and-cheese pairing is clearly built around Canarian variety—white goats cheese, smoked cheeses, peppery goats cheese, and cured sheep/goat options—so you don’t just drink; you taste differences. The group stays small (max 10 travelers), which helps the guide keep things moving, though the pace can still feel fast in the final part for a few visitors.

Key Highlights I’d Plan Around at Bodegas Monje

• Four wines, four cheese pairings, each tied to a specific island and style
• Small group cap of 10, which makes Q&A feel possible
• English tours on weekends: 11am and 5pm (with a special order if you book 4pm)
• Family-run winery feel, with a guided look at how wine is made and stored
• Terrace/patio tasting time, so you’re not stuck indoors the whole 90 minutes

Entering The Bodegas Monje Experience: A 10-Person Wine Tasting That Actually Teaches

This is one of those Tenerife wine tours that’s short on paper (about 90 minutes) but not short on what you learn and taste. You start with a guided look at the winery, then move into a structured tasting flight—four home-produced wines matched with four Canarian cheeses. It’s a simple format, but it’s smart: pairing forces your palate to pay attention, and the winery talk gives you context for why each wine tastes the way it does.

I also like the size of the group. A cap of 10 travelers matters because it changes the atmosphere. You’re not shouting over a crowd, and the guide can slow down for questions when someone’s genuinely curious about a grape style, fermentation, or storage.

The one consideration is expectation-setting. This is not a long walking tour through big outdoor vineyards. It’s a guided winery visit with tastings built around their production spaces and hosting areas. If your dream is hours of vineyard wandering, you might leave wanting more time outdoors.

Where It Starts in El Sauzal (and Why Your Timing Matters)

You meet at Bodegas Monje, C. Cruz de Leandro, 36, 38360 El Sauzal, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain. The activity ends back at the same meeting point, and there’s no hotel pickup. That matters because your experience starts with logistics: you’ll want to plan a cab or local transport time that gets you there a few minutes early.

One practical thing I’d do: aim to arrive relaxed, not sprinting. The tour is set to a fixed block of time (about 1 hour 30 minutes estimated), and weekend English departures have specific times. Once you’re inside, everything works best when you’re not already flustered.

Also note the weather reality. Some visitors describe the day they went as cold/cloudy, so comfortable layers are a good idea. The dress code is comfortable coat and footwear, which tells you they expect real walking on site and possibly cooler air near the coast.

The Core Part: Four Wines and Four Canarian Cheese Pairings

This tour’s heart is the tasting flight. You’ll taste four wines, and each one comes with a cheese pairing designed to contrast and complement the wine’s flavor profile. It’s not random sampling; it’s a mini lesson in how Canarian producers think about balance.

Here’s what you can expect in the order described for the tasting:

Dragoblanco with fresh white goats cheese (Tenerife)

You start with Dragoblanco, a young white wine. It’s paired with a fresh white goats cheese from Tenerife. This pairing usually works because bright acidity in a young white tends to match clean, milky notes in a fresh cheese—so you get a quick win at the start.

If you’re new to wine tasting, this is the easiest entry point. Young whites tend to be straightforward, so you can focus on how the cheese changes what you taste in the wine.

Hollera with smoked goats cheese (La Palma)

Next is Hollera, a red produced using carbonic maceration, paired with a smoked goats cheese from La Palma. Carbonic maceration often means a fruit-forward style, and the smoked element adds a smoky, savory layer.

This combo is where you’ll notice you’re not just tasting “red vs. cheese.” You’re tasting how processing choices and aging choices shape flavor—then how smoke changes the red’s perception.

MonjeTradicional with semi-cured peppery goats cheese (Fuerteventura)

Then comes MonjeTradicional, a young red wine, paired with a semi-cured peppery goats cheese from Fuerteventura. A semi-cured cheese adds a bit more depth than fresh, and the peppery character gives the wine a spicy edge to match.

This is often a favorite pairing for people who like stronger flavors. If you’re the type who thinks fresh cheese is fine but boring, this stage may win you over.

Listán Negro (barrel aged red) with cured goat and sheep milk cheese (Gran Canaria)

Finally you taste Listán Negro, a red aged in the barrel, paired with cured goats and sheep milk cheese from Gran Canaria. Barrel aging typically brings more structure—think deeper notes and a slightly rounded feel compared with a young red.

The cured cheese adds aged character and helps the wine’s maturity feel more coherent. It’s a good ending because the flavors linger longer and feel more substantial than the earlier pairings.

How the Winery Tour Works: What You’re Really Seeing

Before (or alongside, depending on timing) the tasting, you’ll get a guided tour of the winery. The visit includes the winemaking and storage story, presented with a guide and in Spanish & English.

What I think this format does well is that it connects your tasting to physical reality: barrels, cellar spaces, production equipment. Even if you’re not a wine nerd, you’ll understand what each step contributes. Many people appreciate how the guide talks through the process and then you taste it right away.

A couple of guides have been specifically praised for clear English service—names that come up include Irine, Sonya, and Claudia. More importantly than the name is the pattern: people mention the explanations were friendly, professional, and focused on answering questions.

The Setting: Patio, Terrace, and That Coastline View Factor

This isn’t an urban tasting room experience. The winery sits in a remote-feeling area near El Teide and with views down toward the Atlantic. Some tours include time to taste on a terrace/patio, and that matters more than it sounds.

When you drink wine indoors, it can feel like pure procedure. When you drink outdoors, even briefly, it becomes part of the trip. You’re getting a sense of place—volcanic island terrain, coastal air, and the wider setting that made these wine styles develop in the first place.

If you like having your senses “switched on” while you taste, this is a plus. It also makes photos easier without needing to pose like you’re at a theme park.

English Guidance and Small-Group Atmosphere (Including Weekend Timing)

The tour is offered in English and uses mobile tickets. On top of that, weekend scheduling has a specific rhythm: Saturday and Sunday English tours are at 11am and 5pm.

There’s also a timing note to watch for. If you book the 4pm slot, the tasting happens first, followed by the winery tour at 5pm. In other words, the order can shift depending on the time you select—so check your time block before you plan a second activity the same day.

Even with a set schedule, there’s some flexibility. The activity time is pre-set, but it can run before or after the set tour time (for example, tastings at 12 noon with a tour at 1pm). That’s another reason to leave a little buffer for the rest of your day.

Price and Value: What $42.24 Buys You (and What It Doesn’t)

At $42.24 per person, you’re paying for a lot of the “hard parts” of a wine experience: guide time, structured tastings, and the pairing plates/snacks. The price includes 7% I.G.I.C tax, and it covers professional guiding plus both wine tasting and food tasting with snacks and alcoholic beverages (as specified by the tasting menu).

The biggest value move here is that you’re getting four wines and four cheese pairings in about 90 minutes. For many people, that’s the sweet spot: you can understand styles without spending half a day on the logistics of wineries, and you still get enough variety to feel like you actually learned something.

What’s not included: hotel pickup and drop-off and any unspecified alcohol or food you might want after the tasting. If you’re coming from a cruise port or somewhere farther away, budget some transport cost and time, because it’s not a city-side stroll.

Also, a few people felt the pace could be a bit rushed at the end, especially if they wanted more back-and-forth once the tasting finished. That doesn’t mean it’s bad—it means you should come with a mindset of “short and structured.”

Who This Tour Fits Best (And Who Might Prefer Something Else)

This experience fits you if:

• You want a short, high-impact winery visit
• You enjoy wine + food pairing more than just sipping
• You like small groups and guided explanations
• You care about Canarian island variety in the wines and cheeses

It may not fit you as well if:

• You expected long outdoor vineyard walking (the tour is mainly a winery visit)
• You want a slow, deeply unhurried tasting with lots of downtime between pours
• You’re the type who prefers very long, multi-course pairings rather than a quick four-part flight

It’s also a good couples option. Several comments describe the experience as romantic or a nice shared activity—especially because you get views and a structured tasting rhythm.

One more requirement detail: the tour is for ages 18 years or over. If you’re traveling as a group with mixed ages, you’ll need to plan accordingly.

Tips to Get More Out of Your 90 Minutes

Here are the practical moves that help you enjoy this format:

• Go in hungry enough for the pairing snacks. You’ll get snacks and the cheeses as part of the tasting, but don’t arrive so full that wine tastes muted.
• Ask a question early. In small groups, you’ll get more out of the guide if you engage before they move to the next wine.
• Pay attention to the change from young whites to barrel-aged red at the end. That last wine (Listán Negro) is the “showpiece” style in the flight.
• If you’re sensitive to strong flavors, note that the flight includes smoked and peppery cheeses. You don’t need to avoid them, but knowing helps you appreciate the contrasts.
• If you want vegetarian dining, ask about the vegetarian option at booking. Dietary needs should be shared when you reserve.

Should You Book This Tenerife Wine and Cheese Tour?

Book it if you want a well-paced, scenic, small-group tasting that gives you four wines and four cheese pairings tied to the Canaries. The value is strongest for people who enjoy structured tastings and want to learn quickly—without giving up a big chunk of your day.

Skip or consider alternatives if you’re expecting a long, outdoorsy vineyard trek or you prefer extremely unhurried, in-depth wine education. Since the format is built around a specific tasting flight, it’s best for visitors who like a clean plan and don’t need hours of freeform wandering.

If your idea of a great Tenerife day includes wine, local cheeses, and a view of the island’s dramatic terrain, this is a solid way to spend your time.

FAQ

How long is the Bodegas Monje wine and cheese tour?

It’s about 1 hour 30 minutes (estimated).

Where is the meeting point?

The tour starts at Bodegas Monje, C. Cruz de Leandro, 36, 38360 El Sauzal, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain and ends back at the same place.

What’s included in the $42.24 price?

The price includes a professional guide, wine tasting, food tasting, snacks, and alcoholic beverages as specified for the tasting. Admission ticket and 7% I.G.I.C tax are included.

Is hotel pickup included?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included.

What wines and cheeses will I taste?

You’ll taste four wines—Dragoblanco, Hollera, MonjeTradicional, and Listán Negro (barrel aged)—each paired with a corresponding cheese: fresh white goats cheese, smoked goats cheese, semi-cured peppery goats cheese, and cured goats/sheep milk cheese.

Is there an English option?

Yes, the tour is offered in English. On weekends, English tours run at 11am and 5pm.

Can I request a vegetarian option or special diet?

Yes. You can request a vegetarian option and should advise any dietary requirements at booking.

Is there an age limit?

Yes, it’s for age 18 and over.

Can I get a full refund if I cancel?

Yes, you can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the experience’s start time.

What’s the group size?

The experience has a maximum of 10 travelers.