Nielp wanted to visit vineyards in Murcia or Alicante and buy from them. What would be a visit to Spain and not try the ´nectar of the gods´ in situ ? This famous broth that has enchanted civilization for many centuries is unveiled before your eyes at the wine cellars in Murcia, the province connected to Alicante in the south. This region has been quickly moving up the rungs of the ladder to position itself among the leading wine producers in Spain.


Within the Murcia province, there are three outstanding cities that I´ve found quite interesting for their wine production: Yecla, Jumilla and Bullas. When I first came to Alicante, the wines from these areas were considered to be ¨weak¨ and inexpensive. But recently they have come up with some excellent quality wines because they have dared to use the local production of grapes called ´the monastrell´.

One of the wine cellars that I´ve recently visited and was delighted with was Bodegas Castaño en Yecla, taking the freeway A-31 to Villena and then the road MU 404. It´s a family owned winecellar company which was smart enough to push forward the monastrell, turning a bulk production into a more select one.

While we visited the cellars and vineyards we could appreciate that a great part of the land was occupied by monastrell, and the rest with grape vines from other locations which were also giving them good results with Chardonnay and Merlot grapes.

After great tour and some wine tasting, we headed for the shop to stock up. For me, getting to be with the local people and to feel their enthusiam for their land makes all the difference in enjoying a holiday in Spain.