Jumilla is wine. This town in the north of Murcia sits in a high, dry valley surrounded by bare mountains, and its vineyards, planted with the Monastrell grape, produce powerful red wines under the Jumilla designation of origin, one of the oldest in Spain. The Cueva del Peliciego, a rock shelter in the hills near the town, holds prehistoric paintings in the Levantine style, and it has been known since the early twentieth century, when it was one of the first rock art sites studied in the region.
The Monastrell grape thrives in the hot, dry climate and poor soils of Jumilla, and many of its vines are old, ungrafted bush vines, as the phylloxera plague that devastated European vineyards in the nineteenth century reached Jumilla late. The landscape is a mosaic of vineyards, almond and olive groves, and pine-covered mountains, with the Sierra del Carche rising to the south. The town has a castle on a hill and a Roman monument, the Casón, a late Roman mausoleum.
The riding around Jumilla is quiet and enjoyable. The roads cross the high plain through vineyards, with long straights and gentle curves, and climb into the surrounding mountains with more winding routes. Traffic is light, and the surfaces are generally good. The climate is continental, with hot summers and cold winters, and the light is bright and clear. The best seasons are spring and autumn, especially the harvest in September and October, when the vineyards are busy and the air smells of grapes.
Jumilla, six kilometres away, is a town of twenty-five thousand with fuel, shops and restaurants. Many wineries offer tours and tastings, though tasting should wait until the riding is over. The local cuisine includes gazpacho jumillano, a hearty stew of game and flatbread, quite different from the cold soup of Andalusia. The wine festival in August celebrates the harvest. In the evening, the light on the vineyards and the mountains is warm, and a glass of Monastrell with dinner is the perfect end to the day.