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Jumilla, in the north of the province of Murcia, is the most famous and largest wine region in the area. The Jumilla wines have gained enormous popularity and quality, especially since the early nineties. Then many Spanish and even foreign winegrowers settled in the area, seeing the potential of the Jumilla region. There are currently no fewer than 15 bodegas around the town to visit, all of which produce and sell wines, which still have the Monastrell grape as the main ingredient.
Anyone who wants to dive into the world of Jumilla wines has a choice of different options. You can travel on spec, but then many bodegas will keep their doors closed. Anyone who buys wines somewhere may be lucky enough to take a spontaneous tour. Most bodegas organize pre-booked tours for a minimum of six people. These viewings can be in English on request and usually cost between 5 and 10 euros.
The easiest wine tours can be booked with Mediterranean Cartagena Tours. This company has a choice of three different day trips. One is to the Juan Gil bodega known for award-winning wines. The program includes a tour of the company, an insight into the winemaking process and wine tasting accompanied by local tapas.
Another tour is to the Bodegas Luzon where a similar visit is made. This bodega is known as the most technologically advanced in the area.
A third tour is a combination of a bodega visit with a tour of the entire wine region. For all these tours, participants can board at different locations along the Mar Menor.
The current success of the wine-producing region is reflected in the awarding of a series of international awards. Consumers endorse this recognition, because even in cities such as Tokyo and New York Jumilla wines have become commonplace. The innovations introduced by the new winegrowers since the 1990s have certainly helped in this success story. They added blends of syrah, cabernet sauvignon and merlot grapes to the ancient Monastrell grape. That gave the wines a fuller body.
At first glance, the Jumilla region is not an ideal wine region due to the high temperatures and little rainfall. However, these limitations are offset by the calcareous soil, which retains moisture well. The height between 400 and 800 meters on the central plateau also contributes to the quality.
Those less interested in the whole winemaking process and the specific 'secrets' of the different bodegas can make it easy for themselves. In the center of Jumilla, near the tourist office, is a specialized wine shop with a wide selection of wines from the area.
