Feb 06 2024
Two Discovery Trips Show Jumilla DO Wines to International Journalists and Castile-La Mancha ’s Wine Regions to Chefs
Participants toured each region’s leading wineries, sampled their wines, and learned about local grapes and winemaking
ICEX/Foods and Wines From Spain brought a group of journalists and chefs from Restaurants From Spain certified restaurants to Madrid Fusión Alimentos de España to allow them to learn about Spanish gastronomy first-hand by attending tastings, workshops, cooking demos, and exhibitions.
To ensure that they got the full experience, after the conference they organized two discovery trips, to Jumilla and Castile-La Mancha. The goal was to educate them about Spain’s extensive culinary repertoire, connect them with producers and companies, and show them production and manufacturing processes. The trips were organized with the support of the Jumilla DO Regulatory Council, and IPEX (the agency responsible for promoting Castile-La Mancha internationally).
Once there, the participants spent several days meeting with leading wine producers, learning all about the area’s best products and processes, and sampling the local food and wine.
Trip to Jumilla DO
A total of 10 journalists visited Jumilla DO , coming from a wide range of countries: Switzerland, the UK, Ireland, Lithuania, Singapore, the Netherlands, South Korea, Japan, and Poland.
After travelling to Jumilla and settling in, they enjoyed a welcome dinner featuring DO Jumilla wines. The following day began with a typical churros and chocolate breakfast followed by a visit and tasting at Bodegas Salzillo.
This was followed by a tour, tasting, and lunch at another local winery, Bodega TorreCastillo. In the afternoon, they enjoyed a cultural activity by visiting a historical landmark, the Tolmo de Minateda Archeological Park, and the day concluded with a tapas dinner at the Dobledeperez microbodega.
On the final day, participants were able to hike to Jumilla Castle, followed by a visit to Bodegas BSI early in the morning. Mid-morning, the group visited the Casa de la Ermita – Hacienda de Carache Winery Museum for a visit, a tasting, and lunch.
In the afternoon, the journalists toured two additional wineries: Bodegas Juan Gil and Bodegas Alceño.
Castile-La Mancha Discovery Trip
Five executive chefs from Restaurants From Spain certified restaurants traveled to Castile-La Mancha, coming from the US, Singapore, the UK, Poland, and Germany.
The experience kicked off with a live cooking demo and a brief introduction to Castile-La Mancha’s food offer at the regional pavilion. Afterwards, they headed to Toledo to begin their discovery trip and attended a welcome dinner upon arrival.
The following morning, they visited Pago de la Jaraba, known not only for its wine but also for its Manchego cheese and top-flight olive oil. After lunch, they traveled to Manchuela DO to taste and learn all about Bobal wine. In the evening, they had a tapas dinner at a local restaurant in Albacete.
On the final day, they visited Almansa DO to learn more about the local wines and, in particular, about Garnacha Tintorera grapes. After a visit to the Almansa Castle, they had lunch and traveled to Tarancón to tour Bodegas Finca La Estadaca and have dinner there. Afterwards, they headed home.