Magnificent Monastrell: exploring the Murcia wine route through Bullas, Jumilla and Yecla

Traditional wall vats at Castano Winery
Before visiting Barahonda, we stopped by Castaño Winery located in Yecla itself. This makes it easy for those who don’t want to drive, as you can simply walk there.

Castano Winery

Around the town, there are a few cultural attractions of note. The imposing and beautiful Basilica of La Purísima is worth a visit, while a stroll around the quiet and quaint streets will take you past small churches, and green plazas.
Our guide, Raquel Ortuño, who has taken care of the wine tours and tasting for over a decade, led us around the tour of the Bodega which lasted about 90-minutes.
Tasting room at Castano Winery
During my visit, I was lucky enough to enjoy the Yecla Tapas Route, an annual festival where local restaurants offer a glass of indigenous wine, and a good-sized tapas dish for a wallet-friendly €2.50. Be sure to pick up your ‘passport’ and work your way through all the participating restaurants, stomach allowing, as the food was extraordinary quality and value throughout the Murcia region – it was a bit of a challenge after our late lunch at Barahonda, but we rose to it.
Traditional wall vats at Castano Winery

A wine tasting room in Murcia Spain
Traditional wall vats at Castano Winery

What else to visit in Yecla

A wine tasting room in Murcia Spain
To visit the vineyards of Castaño you can take a driven tour for around 10-kilometres out of the town, and the sweeping vistas of the vines against the mountains are one of the most beautiful you’ll see.