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

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.

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.

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.