The counselor of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development, Julián Martínez Lizán, has advanced this Saturday, during his visit to the 10th Wine Fair of DOP Jumilla in Hellín, that the regional Executive is finalizing two new support calls for the sector: the line of Promotion of Wine in Third Countries, "which will be published on October 7," and the new order of VINATÏ aid, aimed at investments in wineries, "whose call will open on November 1." The objective is to continue supporting the winemaking fabric of the region.
In relation to the line of Promotion of Wine in Third Countries, the call is aimed at the execution of programs in the 2027 fiscal year and, as the counselor has detailed, it is a tool intended to promote "the search for alternative markets for wine outside the European Union."
The period to submit applications for the 2027 call will be 15 business days, counted from the day after its official publication; thus, it will cover from October 8 to 29, 2026, both inclusive, as the Board has specified in a press release.
Regarding VINATÏ, this support line, focused on the modernization and improvement of transformation facilities, infrastructures, and marketing of the winemaking sector, will remain open from November 1, 2026, to January 15, 2027, during which investment plans with a maximum duration of two years can be submitted.
In this way, "we are going to continue promoting the advancement of a sector" whose strength is reflected in its export dynamism, as shown by the monthly data on sales abroad. In July, exports from the winemaking sector, which includes wine and derivatives, increased both in value, with almost 5% more, and in volume, around 2%, and in the average price per liter, which increased by almost 3%.
These figures corroborate the evolution recorded in the first seven months of the year, which "maintain this solid evolution," with accumulated exports exceeding 440 million euros and approaching 562 million liters.
The relevance of Castilla-La Mancha on the international wine map has once again been highlighted with the visit, this Thursday in Tomelloso, of the Wine Intergroup of the Committee of the Regions of Europe, which brings together the main producing regions of the continent and in which Castilla-La Mancha holds the Vice-Presidency, "which allows us to defend from Brussels the interests of our winemakers and our territory," the counselor has pointed out.
Tenth anniversary of the Hellín Wine Fair
In this context, Martínez Lizán has highlighted the commercial capacity of the DOP Jumilla, which he has defined as "one of the main ambassadors of the Hellín region and our province," referring to Albacete. Last year, two million bottles of wine from the DOP Jumilla were exported to the United States and more than 1.5 million were destined for Canada and Germany.
During the 2024/2025 campaign, more than 140,000 hectoliters of wine from this denomination have been put on the market, equivalent to almost 19 million bottles, with a value that reaches 40.4 million euros.
The counselor has recognized the work of the DOP Jumilla and has emphasized that the Hellín Wine Fair is "a consolidated fair, with a decade of life," expressing his satisfaction with the event's trajectory, "since it serves to highlight the quality wines that we produce in this area of Castilla-La Mancha and that are under our guarantee brand Campo y Alma."
This year's edition brings together 13 wineries, including Ramón Izquierdo, "a winery from our city, which is producing high-quality wines"; in fact, on this occasion it has been awarded a Gran Selección Campo y Alma prize in the silver category for its Monastrel Ecológico.
For the counselor, this recognition "highlights the greatness of this variety, which accounts for 98% of what exists in Spain and 84% of the world total. Therefore, it is an occasion to highlight a historical and emblematic variety for all of us."
Martínez Lizán has also wanted to thank the joint effort of the DOP Jumilla and the DOP Arroz Calasparra and the fact that "they always go hand in hand in the celebrations we hold. The efforts made by the two denominations of origin, shared between Castilla-La Mancha and Murcia, highlight the capacity we have when we work together and we will certainly continue to support them."
Condolences to the town of Madrigueras
The head of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development has also conveyed a message of support and closeness to the town of Madrigueras, "where unfortunately a person has passed away and there has been a lot of damage to infrastructure and vehicles in the town."
Martínez Lizán has indicated that the president of Castilla-La Mancha is in the area along with the government delegate to learn firsthand about the situation and has emphasized that, "from now on, there will be a work of support and recovery of the area by the administrations, which is the most important thing we should think about."
In this line, he has insisted that, "although today is a reason for celebration in Hellín, it is also a concern for the neighbors of Castilla La Mancha who have faced these difficulties at this time."