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Date Published: 14/09/2026

Jumilla's famous Monastrell and a booming UK market bring good news for Murcia grapes

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Wine grape production is forecast to rise by 15.9% in 2026, while Murcia’s table grape exports to Britain have jumped 109%

Jumilla's famous Monastrell and a booming UK market bring good news for Murcia grapes

The 2026 grape harvest in the Region of Murcia is expected to make a strong recovery, with around 50,000 tonnes of grapes destined for winemaking, up 15.9% on last year's figure.

For wine producers in Jumilla, where Monastrell remains the area's best-known variety, the forecast points to a better season after the lower yields recorded in 2025.

There’s also growing evidence of the strength of Murcia's grape exports abroad, with the United Kingdom proving one of the biggest growth markets.

Murcia exported €292.46 million worth of table grapes in 2025, an increase of 19% compared with the previous year. Sales to the UK jumped by an impressive 109%, reaching more than €56 million.

The Region produces more than 90% of Spain's seedless table grapes and is the leading producer in Europe, according to the regional government.

Agriculture Minister Joaquín Buendía highlighted the figures during a visit to a farm in Alhama de Murcia, describing the Region as an international leader in the sector.

The stronger outlook also extends to the wine grape harvest, with the first estimates putting production at around 50,000 tonnes. That's 6,882 tonnes more than the 43,118 tonnes estimated for 2025.

More favourable growing conditions during the season have helped improve average yields, according to the Community's Agricultural Production and Statistics Service.

Monastrell continues to dominate the wine-growing areas of Jumilla, Yecla and Bullas, with red grape varieties accounting for most of the production.

The regional government is also putting significant funding into the wine industry. More than €11.7 million is being allocated through the Wine Sector Intervention programme between 2023 and 2027, supporting winery modernisation, vineyard conversion, competitiveness and measures to deal with market difficulties.

This year, €1.6 million will be paid before October 15 to support eight winery modernisation projects, linked to more than €4 million of investment. A further six projects are already being processed, with €1.7 million in aid expected to support investments of almost €4.8 million.

The projects include new technology, greater automation and digitalisation, alongside improvements in energy efficiency and water use.

International promotion is another priority, with 34 programmes receiving support to promote Murcian wines in markets outside Spain.

For Jumilla and the wider wine sector, the combination of a stronger harvest, investment in modernisation and growing international demand offers some welcome positive news after a challenging period for producers.

For more local news, events and visiting information please contact the local tourist office (968 780237) or go to the home page of Jumilla Today.

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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.