October 26 and 27 Matavendimia wine fair in Jumilla
Guided tours and winery visits, tastings, live music and gastronomy to cvelebrate the end of the grape-picking season in Jumilla
Just as the town of Jumilla in northern Murcia holds its annual fiestas to coincide with the picking of the first grapes of the season, an important event in the local culture and economy due to the prestige of the wine production in the area, so the end of the grape-picking season is also marked with a special event, albeit on a rather smaller scale than in late August.
In 2024 the autumn Feria del Vino which has been celebrated in the past is to be known under a different name, the “Matavendimia”, and various activities are planned, including wine tastings, gastronomic events and special visits to local wineries over the weekend of October 26 and 27. The main events will be based around the hub of the Mercado Central de Abastos, the indoor food market in the town.
The schedujle for the weekend includes the following
Saturday October 26
11.00: Guided tour of the picturesque old town centre of Jumilla.
11.00: Guided tour of the prehistoric rock art of Minateda in Hellín.
11.00: Guided visit at the Xenysel winery.
11.00: Guided visit at Bodegas Luzón.
11.00: Guided visit at Bodegas Silvano García.
11.30: Traditional music and dancing with the Corro Espartero at the Mercado de Abastos.
11.30: Tasting of “mosto” grape juice at the Mercado de Abastos.
13.00: Tasting of old wines and how they have been adapted for modern times at the Mercado de Abastos.
14.00: BANG! in concert at the Mercado de Abastos.
17.00: Afternoon music with Jaleos DJ at the Mercado de Abastos.
18.00: Tasting of Jumilla wines not made with the local Monastrell grape at the Mercado de Abastos.
19.00: KARLAN in concert at the Mercado de Abastos.
19.30: Tasting of rural wines from the Region of Murcia at the Mercado de Abastos.
21.00: Evening music with DJ Danny Solis at the Mercado de Abastos.
Sunday October 27
10.00: Guided visit at Bodegas Viña Elena.
10.30: Hike up to the castle of Jumilla with Grupo Henneni, followed by a tour of the castle.
11.00: Guided visit at Bodegas Luzón.
11.00: Guided visit at Bodegas Silvano García.
11.00: Guided visit at the BSI winery.
11.30: Tasting of a wide variety of DOP Jumilla wines at the Mercado de Abastos.
12.00: Traditional music and dancing at the Mercado de Abastos.
13.00: Tasting of Monastrell wines at the Mercado de Abastos .
14.00: CAREY in concert at the Mercado de Abastos.
15.30: Afternoon music with AARÓN SÄEZ (of Varry Bravo) at the Mercado de Abastos.
When visiting Jumilla don’t forget to make your first port of call the local tourist office (Plaza del Rollo, 1, telephone 968 780237 / 663 300779, email oficinaturismo@jumilla.org.
For more local events, news and visiting information go to the home page of Jumilla Today.
Address
Plaza del Rollo, 1 30520 JUMILLA Tel: 968 780237 / 663 300779
Oficina de Turismo Jumilla
The tourist office in the centre of Jumilla is easily found by driving straight into the centre of the town along the Avenida de Murcia and following the signposts. The tourist office is alongside the Parque de Don Albano Martínez Molina, where there are a number of parking spaces.
Jumilla, in the north of the Region of Murcia, has become internationally famous over recent decades due to the quality of the wines produced in the municipality, and wine tourism has begun to attract visitors from other parts of Spain and the rest of Europe.
The tourist office is happy to provide a range of maps and leaflets showing the different bodegas which can be visited within the municipality. Some of these form part of the Rutas del Vino de Jumilla, the Jumilla wine route, and can either be visited as a guided tour or sell their produce directly to the public.(see feed below for more details)
However, the town and the surrounding countryside have plenty of other attractions for visitors, and the popularity of Jumilla wines is leading more and more people to discover other facets of the tenth largest municipality in Spain.
These include the spectacular countryside and birdlife in the Sierra del Carche, the historic remains which range from cave paintings and a Roman mausoleum to the castle, the Iglesia de Santiago, the Town Hall and the Teatro Vico, and the gastronomy: rich stews are accompanied not only by the wines of the area but also by Jumilla pears, which also enjoy Denomination of Origin status.
Tourism in Jumilla is not as seasonal as it is in the coastal areas of the Region of Murcia, but the town is at its liveliest during the fiestas in Holy Week and the August Fair, which incorporates the grape harvest celebrations and the Moors and Christians parades.
The Altiplano of the Region of Murcia, which consists of the municipalities of Jumilla and Yecla, is only just over an hour by car from the Mar Menor, Cartagena, Mazarrón, Torrevieja and Alicante, and anyone wishing to visit real inland Spain and world-class wineries is advised to include Jumilla in their schedule.
Opening hours
Summer
Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 2pm
Saturday and Sunday 10am to 2pm
Monday closed
Winter
Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 2pm and 5pm to 7pm
Saturday and Sunday 10am to 2pm
Monday closed
Click for full information about visiting the Jumilla municipality and its wine bodegas: Jumilla section
