Details

Jumilla is up in the north of the province of Murcia, near the provincial border with Albacete. The Sierra de Buey, the Sierra de las Cabras and the Sierra del Molar stand nearby, but the plain rolls around them and the main feature of the landscape are the vineyards which stretch in every direction.



It is amazing to think that Jumilla has been famous since Roman times for its full bodied red wine. In the 19th century phylloxera struck Europe and many vineyards succumbed to the disease. France was badly affected but the wine growing area round Jumilla escaped and this was the beginning of a period of expansion as wine traders from all over Europe came to purchase the wine. It is perhaps out of gratitude to fate that the vines here are still cultivated without the method of grafting, which is popular in other areas. In spite of this care the disease returned in 1989 and many local vineyards had to start the laborious task of cultivating good grapes all over again.


There is much more to be said about the famous wines of Jumilla, but suffice to say that since 1966 they are wines with “La Denominación de Origen” which is a prestigious title given to produce of a high quality.



This region of Spain is also famous for its cheese; o­ne type is soaked in red wine as part of its elaboration process, which gives it a wonderful flavour. The fresh cheese is delicious when fried with tomato and it is also given as a tapa with a sprinkling of hot pepper and olive oil. Of course, the best accompaniment to these cheeses is the local red wine.



There are many historic buildings to be seen and visited, some are ruins dating back to the time of the Moors, some are of gothic design and some are a mixture of both. The fortress that overlooks the town was built between the 12th and 15th centuries o­n top o­n ancient roman and Iberian ruins. Another fascinating building is the Church of Santiago, the construction of this church began in the 15th century, using the gothic architecture of the time and it was finished in the baroque style in the18th century.