Presentation at the Cabildo of the book “Women of Wine of Gran Canaria; legacy, impetus and transformation from the rural world”
The Island Association for Rural Development of Gran Canaria (Aider Gran Canaria) presented the publication last Tuesday at the Casa Palacio of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria. Women of Wine in Gran Canaria: legacy, impetus and transformation from the rural worldA work that highlights and celebrates the role of women in the island's wine sector. The event was attended by the island's president, Antonio Morales; the president of Aider, Fina Suárez; and Carlota Díaz-Reixa, from the Los Lirios winery. The event also served to recognize the work of the longest-serving employees of the Frontón de Oro winery.
The book, which brings together the testimonies of female winegrowers, winemakers, oenologists, sommeliers, technicians, and women involved in wine tourism, gives a face and voice to a generation that is changing the island's wine sector. From the pioneers who worked quietly behind the scenes to the young women who now run wineries, manage projects, or innovate in production, they all share the same roots: a love for the land and a determination to keep alive an essential cultural and economic heritage.
“Women in the wine industry don’t just cultivate vineyards; they cultivate the future,” notes Fina Suárez, president of Aider Gran Canaria, in the book’s prologue, which pays tribute to the role of women in a historically male-dominated field. The text, written by journalist Charo Cardenal de la Nuez, is accompanied by photographs by Frank Hernández (Caja de Colores), which capture the strength, serenity, and authenticity of these rural women.
Among its protagonists are names like María Peñate, founder of Bodega Frontón de Oro; Sandra Armas, manager of Bodegas Bentayga and president of the Wine Route; and Carlota Díaz-Reixa, of Los Lirios, driving force behind the Gran Canaria Women in Wine Meeting. They all represent different generations united by the same passion: wine as an expression of identity and future.
The publication also highlights the support and sisterhood networks that have developed around the sector, such as the Rural and Wine Women's Meeting, held every March 8th at the Los Lirios Winery. "In these spaces, not only are alliances formed," says Fina Suárez, "but ideas are also born, bonds are strengthened, and knowledge is shared."
With this project, Aider Gran Canaria reaffirms its commitment to raising the profile of rural women and to the sustainable development of the island's agricultural communities. "This book is the fruit of a collective spirit that is growing to recognize and continue building pathways toward a fairer, more equitable rural society with more opportunities for all," emphasizes Suárez, who highlights women's contributions to viticulture, rural innovation, and the transmission of knowledge in a historically male-dominated field.
Published in collaboration with the Gran Canaria Island Council, the Gran Canaria Wine Route Association, the Gran Canaria Wines Designation of Origin Regulatory Board, the Island Federation of Wine Sector Associations (Vinigran), and the Los Lirios Winery, this book compiles more than thirty true stories of women who have made their mark among vineyards, wineries, and winemaking projects across the island. With text by journalist Charo Cardenal de la Nuez and photographs by Frank Hernández (Caja de Colores), the publication is a visual and emotional journey through the landscapes and the women who make up the Gran Canaria wine scene: grape growers, winemakers, oenologists, sommeliers, and wine tourism entrepreneurs who have chosen to stay in their homeland and transform it.
