Mencia (Spain)
Mencia is a medium bodied red wine grape from North West Spain and Portugal.
The aromatic grape is known as Jaen in Portugal.
Typical Flavors
 Raspberry |
 Strawberry |
 Cherry |
 Plum |
 Violets |
 Fig |
 Licorice |
 Gravel |
Oak Added Flavors:
 Oak |
 Vanilla |
 Coffee |
 Tobacco |
Mencia has floral aromas, combined with fresh red and black fruits like strawberry, raspberry, cherry, black plum, and even a touch of licorice and fig.
Oak added Flavors: Vanilla, Coffee and Tobacco.
Profile
Mencia has firm tannins and lot of fruit:
| BODY | Medium | ||
| TANNINS | Medium | ||
| FRUIT | Medium - Plus | ||
| ACIDITY | Medium - High | ||
| |||
Food Pairing
 Tapas |
 Sausages |
 Ham |
 Mushroom |
 Duck |
 Turkey |
 Lamb |
 Veal |
Mencia is peppery and rich so it is excellent with Meat, Fowl and rich Veggie Dishes.
Pairing Suggestions
Excellent Pairing:
Tapas. Cured Meat.
Sausages. Pepper Sauce. Hamburger.
Asian Marinated Dishes. Duck.
Lamb. Lamb Shanks.
Pork. Rich Suckling Pig. Pork Belly.
Game in Cherry Sauce. Rich Veggies.
Wild Rice Dishes. Mushroom Risotto.
Rich Poultry. Turkey. Roasted Duck.
BBQ. Spare Ribs. Mustard Sausages.
Cheese:
High Acid Cheese. Feta. Goat.
Manchego. Cheddar. Gouda (Smoked).
Spanish Specialities:
Tapas. Chorizo (Spicy Pork Sausage).
Paella (Rice dish with Rabbit, Chicken, or Duck).
Portuguese Specialities:
Cabrito Assado (Roasted Goat).
Bacalao com Natas (Bacalao with Potatoes).
If You Like Mencia
You Might Also Like:
| Barbera (Italy) |
| Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo (Italy) |
| Dolcetto (Italy) |
| Frappato (Italy) |
| Gamay Noir (USA) |
| Garnacha (Spain) |
| GSM Wines (France) |
| Schiava (Italy) |
| Teroldego (Italy) |
The Ideal Glass
The Bordeaux glass is perfect for a bodied red wine.
It is taller than other red wine glasses, and has a slimmer bowl.
The large size of the glass allows the bouquet to develop. It smooths out rough edges, plays down tannins, and allows the wines to achieve balance.
The slimmer bowl sends the wine directly to the back of the mouth for maximum taste.
About Mencia
Mencia is an aromatic red wine grape primarly grown in Ribeira Sacra and Valdeorras regions of Galicia DO and Bierzo DO in Castilla y Leon (Spain).
In Portugal the main growing regions are Dao and Beira Interior.
The schist soils of the hillsides of Galicia add concentration and the high altitude climate adds rich fruit aromas.
Mencias aromatic qualities are also related to volatile compounds called Terpenoids responsible for the pungent herbal and fruity character.
Mencia is similar to Pinot Noir, Gamay, Schiava or cool climate Merlot, just with some more tannins.
Mencia is known for fruity, light red wines enjoyed when young.
Wine Region Galicia
Galicia is a region in north-west Spain.
There are 5 Denominacións de Orixe (DO) in Galicia:
- Monterrei
- Rías Baixas
- Ribeira Sacra
- Ribeiro
- Valdeorras
Rias Baixas (lower Rias), close to the border of Portugal, is known to produce the best Albariño in the world. In Portugal the same grape is called Alvarinho.
Ribeira Sacra is best known for dry red wines from the Mencia grape.