The Jumilla DOP has released a documentary in which wine experts from around the world explore the subject of old vines and the way in which soil-types affect the resilience of the monastrell grape variety in Jumilla

A soil study in old vine plots in the Jumilla DOP uncovers the unique character of the wine region. The documentary was made following a fact-finding trip to Jumilla by the old vine conference association.

Different from the usual press trip, this visit entailed an in-depth exploration of soil-types in different vineyard sites planted with old and ungrafted vines, of which a substantial part of the Jumilla wine region is made up. The results of the study were presented in a conference which took place during the trip and are explained in the documentary now posted @vinosjumilla on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

Taking part in the trip and appearing in the documentary was agricultural engineer Dr Joaquín Cámara Garaje, of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, who explains the profiles and compositions found in the soils studied and identifies very distinct soil textures. “The results show that while in Jumilla the soils have high sand content, there’s also a lot of clay. There isn’t just sand or sandy-loam, there’s also loam, clay-loam and even some silty-loam.

One of the most interesting things that came out of this soil study for me were the very high levels of active limestone. And it was observed that in all the soils analysed, roots were thriving, both fine and very fine roots as well as thicker, structural roots, which were growing as far down as 50 centimetres.”

“We’d expected to find a great variability of soil types in the Jumilla Designation of Origin, and this is exactly what the analyses in the soil study showed.”

The amazing number of ungrafted vines growing in Jumilla is one of the appellation’s distinguishing features and makes the wine region unique. The British wine educator Jimmy Smith explained in the documentary why these vines should be protected, “Why pull up this unique treasure, these items that belong to the area’s heritage and culture? They are outstanding pieces of architecture, while the quality that comes from them is wonderful. The region’s terroir”, he continues “is complex, and it’s really fantastic to get to understand its characteristics in terms of everything that surrounds it. Terroir isn’t just soils, it’s the landscape, the culture, the people, and that’s what I learned on this trip.”

It’s not just that these vines are hugely interesting and of great value, it’s also what they mean for the people here; for the farmers, for the people who performed back-breaking manual work to plant them, in some cases over a hundred years ago; and how this value is being reborn and rejuvenated by the current generation. These old vines,” she underlines, “aren’t museum pieces, they’re behind the production of some of the most delicious and visionary wines in the region”.

Carolina Martínez Origone

the secretary of the Jumilla Wine Council, concluded the documentary by summing up the success of this awareness-raising educational trip to Jumilla: “The visits to the vineyards and the conference on old vines was hugely positive for the Jumilla DOP. We’ve succeeded in showcasing the amazing heritage of old vines that our wine region possesses together with its potential. And we hope that through this trip, the Jumilla appellation has advanced one step further in ensuring the protection and preservation of this heritage, which is in serious danger of disappearing. I hope too that together we can bring deserved recognition to Jumilla’s old vines, since these are some of the greatest vineyards in the world and the source of Jumilla’s finest wines”.

The soils study project in the Jumilla DOP is only just beginning. Every year we are looking forward to discovering more about the soils in the Jumilla DOP in order to continue the completion of a map of the soils, among which variations can be found, even within the same vineyard.

About the documentary:

For the filming of this documentary, a cutting edge Canon Cinema R5C camera was used in conjunction with old cinema lenses to give enhanced character to the image.

Produced by Guarafía Producciones, this documentary masterfully captures the special moments of the three-day visit to Jumilla’s old vines through a careful, detailed visual narrative, demonstrating once again the studio’s considerable knowledge of the territory. In the filming, they have succeeded in reflecting the intimate connection between the visitors and Jumilla’s wine-growing heritage.

About The Old Vine Conference

The Old Vine Conference is a non-profit organisation which was co-founded in the UK in 2021 by Masters of Wine Sarah Abbott and Alun Griffiths, and Leo Austin. Its aim is to establish a worldwide network and create a new category for wine produced from heritage vineyards. The Old Vine Conference is charting new territory for old vines and the wines produced from them, and in its first three years has contributed exponentially to the knowledge and understanding of old vines and to their support across the world.  Its annual conference on old vineyards, the largest in the world, is today complemented by an extensive programme of communication activities that includes tastings, trips for wine educators, as well as other events.

About the Jumilla Protected Designation of Origin and its old vines

Vine-growing in Jumilla has a long history. Traces of vitis vinífera along with wine utensils and archaeological vestiges found in Jumilla date back to 3000 BC, the oldest in Europe.

The appellation’s vines are planted at elevations ranging from 320 to 980 meters within mountain ranges rising as high as 1,380 meters. These form the boundaries of the appellation, from the extreme south-east of Albacete (taking in the municipalities of Hellín, Montealegre del Castillo, Fuente Álamo, Ontur, Albatana and Tobarra) to the north of Murcia province with the municipality of Jumilla. The appellation covers more than 20,000 hectares of vines, most of them dry-farmed bush vines grown predominantly on limestone soils.

Old vines in the Jumilla DOP cover more than 15% of the total surface area, with the Monastrell grape variety making up most of it (90% of the old vines). It is estimated that a large proportion of these old vines are ungrafted and cover at least 1,000 hectares, 89% of which are planted with Monastrell, followed by 6% Airén and 3% Garnacha Tintorera.

The climatic conditions in Jumilla, with annual rainfall barely reaching 300mm and over 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, are highly conducive to organic farming, which is widely practiced in the area.