The estate workers at Casa del Vino
The estate workers [known as Medianeros] at the Hacienda de San Simón (now Casa del Vino) were the caretakers and permanent inhabitants here from the early twentieth century until the estate passed into public ownership in 1989.
These families looked after the house and the grounds when the owners were away, as the latter only came to Hacienda San Simón for the summer holiday months.
Why were they called Medianeros in Spanish?
The reason is very simple. It is because even today, they work in exchange for half of the harvest and, in some places, like Casa del Vino, and also in exchange for their accommodation.
The Canino Alfonso family were the estate’s last Medianeros, and were there from the 1960s until the end: a way of life for them, but also a place that bore witness to their heritage.
And an illustrious witness it was: a daughter of the family, Lali, still works there, and has countless stories about the building and what it was like to live and work there.
But this exhibition is much more than that: the display area devoted to the Hacienda San Simón Medianeros tells the story of people who are part of the history of the house, but also of the history of the island, key figures in the cultivation of the vines and in the society of Tenerife.
The selfguided tour is a great way to gain an insight into the lives of these farmers who were also managers
And to round off your immersion in the world of wine and of traditional gastronomy prepared from ingredients farmed on the land for generations, you won’t want to miss the tastings of wines and local products.
