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Date Published: 14/10/2026

Rafa Nadal puts his name to the fine wine of Jumilla

The former world tennis number 1 ventures into wine production with Bodegas Juan Gil in Jumilla

Rafa Nadal puts his name to the fine wine of Jumilla Former world tennis Number 1 Rafa Nadal, from Manacor in the Balearics, has unveiled a new venture into the world of wine production in the Region of Murcia, in collaboration with Bodegas Juan Gil in the municipality of Jumilla.

The new label on wines from the Juan Gil vineyards is to bear the name “El Tenista” and is expected to generate even more interest in the wines of Jumilla worldwide, as well as boosting the sales of the Juan Gil winery, which continues a long family tradition in the sector and is already one of the most successful in terms of D.O. Jumilla production.

Wine tourism is one of the main ancillary sectors of the viniculture business in Jumilla, and visitor numbers at wineries across Spain have been rising significantly in recent years as the quality of visiting experiences has increased and the full potential of the activity has begun to be tapped. This trend can certainly be expected to continue in the north of Murcia, all the more so with the release by Rafa Nadal on social media of images and a video showing a recent visit to the vineyards of Juan Gil, since the man who won as many as 92 ATP tournaments during one of the most successful tennis careers ever is one of the most instantly recognizable people in Spain and perhaps around the world.

That’s one more visitor already, and many more are likely to follow in his footsteps!

Now 40, Nadal retired from professional tennis two years ago with 22 Grand Slam titles and one Olympic gold medal to his name, making him arguably Spain’s most successful sportsperson ever. Whether he can achieve the same level of success in the world of wine seems unlikely, but given the tenacity and determination for which he has been renowned for the last two decades only a fool would rule it out!

“Some projects”, he says, “are especially exciting, and this is one of them”, adding that he has been working with the Gil family for some time on the development of this wine. It has been a pleasure, he states, to learn from a family with so much experience and to share the journey with them.

Rafa Nadal puts his name to the fine wine of Jumilla As for the wine, “El Tenista” represents to certain extent the rescue of a part of the wine-making heritage of Jumilla, making use of Monastrell vines (also known as Mourvèdre) which are over 50 years old and could easily have been abandoned: instead, they are now providing the raw material from their vineyard at 750 metres above sea level. Due to their age, each vine produces only around 700 grams of grapes per year, but they are of high quality and are hand-picked to ensure that they are harvested only at the perfect moment.

The result is an ecological red wine which is left to rest for approximately 18 months in new barrels of French oak before being bottled. According to the description of the winery, it offers an aroma of mature dark fruit, vanilla and sweet spices and has a fine structure and smooth tannins. It can already be purchased at a few outlets at 60 euros a bottle.

It is worth remembering that the Monastrell vines of northern Murcia are almost unique, as the unusual climate and soil conditions enabled this strain of vine to withstand the Phylloxera plague which wiped out Monastrell production in France and elsewhere in Europe in the 1860s and 1870s. In many places other strains were grafted onto Monastrell vines with varying degrees of success, but in Jumilla and Yecla the old stock remained productive.

Rafa Nadal puts his name to the fine wine of Jumilla The winery founded by Juan Gil Jiménez has been in existence since 1916 and is now managed by the fourth generation of his family, now operating in many other regions of Spain apart from its native Murcia.

Images: rafaelnadal Instagram

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.