August 13 The Exaltation of Wine evening opens the annual Vendimia fiestas in Jumilla

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Wine, music, food and dancing under the stars at the Pio XII venue in Jumilla

August 13 The Exaltation of Wine evening opens the annual Vendimia fiestas in Jumilla The traditional curtain-raiser for the annual fiestas in Jumilla, which culminate this year in the “Cabalgata” wine battle on Saturday August 22, is the “Exaltation of Wine” evening, which is being held for the 27^th time at 21.30 on August 13.

August 13 The Exaltation of Wine evening opens the annual Vendimia fiestas in Jumilla Taking place as usual at the Pío XII celebration venue (on the road to Santa Ana del Monte), the musical entertainment this year features Los Happys and Estilo Misuri. Tickets go on sale on August 3 at 35 euros per head (available online at reservas.jumilla.org), with a maximum attendance of 1,000 having been established.

To avoid problems with drink-driving, a coach service will run from the bus station of Jumilla starting at 20.15.

Among the DOP Jumilla wineries represented are Juan Gil, Silvano García, Luzón, Alceño, Raíces Ibéricas, Ontalba, BSI, Salzillo, Bleda, García Carrión 1890, Viña Elena, San Dionisio, Casa de la Ermita, Finca Monastasia, Torrecastillo and El Lagar de las Puntillas.

In addition, a new element of the Exaltation this year is the naming of a fiestas dignitary, the "Madrina del Vino", with the role being filled by journalist Kika Frutos.

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.

Jumilla Tourist Office

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.