The island of La Palma won the ITER VITIS 2023 award on 27 October at the first European Wine Days held in the French city of Toulouse. A distinction that recognises the Canary Islands as the territory with the Best Wine Route, and which joins the total of 13 candidates from 10 countries that won one of the categories of the competition.

In this regard, the island's president, Sergio Rodríguez, stresses that "this is a boost for the island's wine sector, which has suffered greatly in recent years due to the circumstances we have had to live through, from the volcanic eruption to the fires, as well as climate change". "We are very proud of the fruits of the land of La Palma, and in the case of wine in particular, because we are reaping successes all over the world," he adds.

It should be noted that Iter Vitis España had proposed the candidacy of the La Palma wine route because of its landscape, the traditions linked to viticulture and the diversity of wines and varietals in such a small area. It was precisely because of these factors that it won the top prize, awarded at a gala event held at the headquarters of the Prefecture of the Region, in the framework of the European Wine Day.

An evening organised by the Association of European Wine Regions (AREV), the Vignerons Coopérateurs de France, the Interprofession des Vignobles du Sud-Ouest, the Iter Vitis-Les Chemins de la vigne en Europe and the RECEVIN network, which was attended by the Minister for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty of the La Palma Island Council, Alberto Paz, and the manager of the Consejo Regulador de Vinos La Palma, Eva Hernández Alonso.

For the manager of the Control Board, Eva Hernández, this award means "showing the island to European representatives through wine". "It has been an incredible opportunity to showcase the work of the men and women who make winemaking possible on La Palma, with its strengths and weaknesses". "Basically it has been an invitation for them to come and visit us and get to know what is being done here".

For his part, Alberto Paz expressed his satisfaction with the award and recalled that "the unique climatic conditions of the island, with volcanic soils and varying altitudes, contribute to the uniqueness of the wines from La Palma". "Moreover, viticulture and wine production are an integral part of our cultural and agricultural identity," he said.

The award was presented by the president of the Iter Vitis federation, Emanuela Panke, accompanied by the president of Iter Vitis France, Didier Cujiver, and the director of the Interprofession de Vignoble du Sud-Ouest, Paul Fabre. The event was also attended by local authorities such as the Prefect of the Occitania and Haute-Garonne region, Pierre-André Durand, and, by way of an invitation, the Regional Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development of the Government of Castilla-La Mancha, Julián Martínez Lizán.

The Inter Vitis Federation is a non-profit organisation whose members are members of the Council of Europe. It aims to preserve Europe's tangible and intangible heritage related to wine and viticulture. Since 2009 it has been recognised by the Council of Europe as a European Cultural Route. This year's edition was held in the aforementioned French city, having been designated as European City of Wine 2023.