D.O. Jumilla

The very large DO area for red and white wines in the Spanish region of Murcia in the southernmost part of the Levante, named after the town of the same name. It was classified as early as 1966. At the end of the 1980s (about 100 years later than in France and northern Spain), the area was devastated by phylloxera. This forced the winegrowers to replant and led to the cultivation of better quality grape varieties. The climate is continental, with very hot summer temperatures of up to 40 °Celsius and low rainfall. The vineyards cover 41,300 hectares on sandy soils with limestone as the parent rock and are situated at an altitude of 400 to 800 metres above sea level. Predominantly red wines are produced from the predominant lead variety Monastrell (85% of the vineyard area), Cencibel (Tempranillo), Garnacha Tinta, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The white wines are made from the Airén, Macabeo, Pedro Ximénez and Merseguera varieties. Traditionally, naturally sweet wines are also produced from overripe grapes. In some cases, the technique of doble pasta (drawing off part of the fermenting grape must for the purpose of producing wines rich in extract ) is still used.