From November 12 to 14, the island of La Gomera will become an international meeting point for the analysis of the main challenges of sustainable winegrowing. The III International Technical Conference on Sustainable Viticulture 2026 will bring together specialists, researchers, institutional representatives and professionals from the sector from Spain, Brazil and Portugal to share experiences and analyze new strategies linked to regenerative production, technological innovation and adaptation to climate change.
The program of this third edition was presented at a press conference in the Board of Trustees Room of the General Foundation of the University of La Laguna, in Tenerife, with the participation of Jesús Enrique de las Heras Roger, director of the Chair of Agrotourism and Wine Tourism of the Canary Islands of the Canary Institute of Agri-Food Quality (ICCA) and the University of La Laguna (ULL); Héctor Cabrera Martín, fourth vice president and insular advisor of the Area of Territorial Policy, Environment and Primary Sector of the Cabildo of La Gomera; Eduardo García Cabello, Deputy Minister of the Primary Sector of the Government of the Canary Islands; and Julio Antonio Brito Santana, managing director of the General Foundation of the University of La Laguna.
The meeting is promoted by the Chair of Agrotourism and Wine Tourism of the Canary Islands of the ICCA and the ULL, in coordination with the Cabildo of La Gomera and with the endorsement of the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV).
Jesús Enrique de las Heras Roger highlighted the importance of generating meeting spaces between researchers, professionals and institutional representatives to advance the transformation of the wine sector. In this sense, he pointed out that "these conferences allow us to share experiences and scientific knowledge from different producing territories, while bringing tools and proposals to the sector to face the current challenges of viticulture. "Sustainability, research and innovation must be part of a joint strategy to guarantee the future of this activity."
For his part, Héctor Cabrera Martín focused on the importance of La Gomera as a reference territory for the exchange of experiences around viticulture. «Holding this international meeting on our island is an opportunity to make visible the value of our primary sector and the work of those who keep alive an activity closely linked to the territory. Viticulture is part of our productive and cultural heritage, and moving towards more sustainable models is essential to face the challenges of the sector," he stated.
From the Government of the Canary Islands, the Deputy Minister of the Primary Sector, Eduardo García Cabello, highlighted the importance of continuing to promote measures that facilitate the adaptation of the sector to new environmental and productive challenges. «Climate change poses important challenges for Canarian viticulture, which we must face by focusing on research, innovation and the adoption of more sustainable cultivation practices. It is about reinforcing the adaptation capacity of our farms, guaranteeing their viability and improving the competitiveness of our wines>>, he noted.
Likewise, Julio Antonio Brito Santana highlighted the role of collaboration between public institutions, the university and the business community to promote knowledge transfer initiatives. «Cooperation between the academic field, administrations and professionals in the sector is essential for research to have real application in the territory. From the General Foundation of the University of La Laguna we are committed to initiatives that connect scientific knowledge with the needs of the productive sectors and contribute to generating new development opportunities," he noted.
An international perspective on regenerative winegrowing
The biennial event will feature international experiences from Spain and Brazil. Among the planned interventions, the participation of the brothers Mario and Alejandro Rodríguez Mendoza, owners of Bodegas Montoro, stands out, who will share their experience in heroic viticulture in La Gomera, as well as that of Mauricio Bonafé, agricultural manager of the Aurora Wine Cooperative, who will present the initiatives developed in Brazil in terms of regenerative agriculture, research, climate change and valorization of cooperative members.
The conference will also pay special attention to the specific challenges of viticulture in the Canary Islands. A round table entitled "Regenerative Viticulture in the Canary Islands: Challenges, Opportunities and Future of the Sector" will bring together representatives of wineries from Tenerife, Lanzarote and the Regulatory Council of the Protected Designation of Origin of Wines of La Gomera to analyze the possibilities of implementation and development of these practices in the archipelago.
Another relevant issue will be the phytosanitary situation of the Canary Islands vineyard, with a session dedicated to the actions developed for the eradication of phylloxera in the Canary Islands, in which representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty of the Government of the Canary Islands will participate.
Research, innovation and new technologies
The scientific and technological dimension will also have a prominent role in this edition. On Saturday, November 14, the International Scientific Communications Forum will be held, which will bring together research from Spain, Portugal and Brazil on traditional varieties, bioactive compounds, conservation of viticultural heritage, circular economy and new tools for monitoring production processes.
The program will conclude with a session dedicated to emerging non-thermal technologies and biotechnologies applied to winemaking, taught by Antonio Morata Barrado, professor of Food Science and Technology at the Polytechnic University of Madrid. Likewise, participants will be able to learn about different expressions of the heroic viticulture of the archipelago through a Canarian wine tasting activity.
Recognition of the Alhóndiga de Tacoronte Canarian Foundation
As part of the planned activities, on Thursday, November 12, the reception and welcome cocktail will take place at the Cabildo of La Gomera, during which the "Sustainable Viticulture 2026" award will be presented to the Canarian Alhóndiga de Tacoronte Foundation, in recognition of its connection with the sustainable wine field.
With this third edition, La Gomera reinforces its role as a setting for the exchange of scientific, technical and business knowledge around the challenges of contemporary viticulture. A meeting that seeks to promote dialogue between producing territories, share international experiences and analyze new opportunities for the sustainable development of a strategic sector for the economy, landscape and agricultural heritage of the Canary Islands.
