The Canary Islands' agriculture minister Narvay Quintero on Friday, 30 October, presented the award to Bodega Elysar in El Pinar (El Hierro) presented the certificate for the Brazil Wine Challenge 2026 gold medal won. The award went to Elysar Vijariego Tinto 2025. The occasion also served to recognise the winery’s other achievements so far this year, as the Canary Islands government announced on 31 October.
According to the government, it was the first time Canary Islands wines had entered this major Latin American competition. A total of 1,127 samples from 190 wineries were submitted in this year’s edition, including 40 wines from the Canary Islands. Alongside its success in Brazil, Elysar received three further awards in 2026: at the Mondial des Vins Extrêmes 2026 the Elysar Vijariego Tinto 2025 was once again awarded gold. Organised by the CERVIM centre, the competition recognises wines made under particularly challenging growing conditions. At the Concurso Internacional Bacchus 2026 in Madrid, the Elysar Baboso Negro 2024 won a gold medal. In July, the winery also won gold for Elysar 2025 in the red wine category at the Concurso Nacional de Vinos de Pequeñas D.O.’s.
According to the statement, Quintero emphasised that the results demonstrated the potential of El Hierro’s wine-growing areas and the capabilities of small wineries in the Canary Islands, which produce high-quality wines from traditionally cultivated grape varieties. The awards also recognised the efforts of the winemakers who continue an activity closely tied to the island’s identity.
Bodega Elysar was founded in 2012 by Ambrosio Martín Padrón. It is located in the municipality of El Pinar and belongs to the protected designation of origin DOP Vinos de El Hierro . According to government figures, the family-run business cultivates around two hectares of its own vineyards. It grows traditional island varieties such as Negramoll, Listán Blanco, Vijariego Blanco, Vijariego Negro and Baboso. The wines are marketed under the Elysar brand, including Elysar Tinto, Tinto Baboso and Blanco Seco.
For El Hierro’s wine sector, the awards are primarily a boost to its image: they raise the profile of DOP Vinos de El Hierro among industry professionals and in export markets. Claims about specific effects on sales remain speculative, as no sales figures are available. What is clear is that a small producer from El Hierro has succeeded several times on national and international competition stages in 2026.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).