Cards of Wine

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
Raspberry
Strawberry
Strawberry
Black Cherry
Cherry
Plum
Plum

Violets
Violets
Thyme
Fig
Licorice
Licorice
Gravel
Gravel

Oak Added Flavors:

Oak
Oak
Vanilla
Vanilla
Coffee
Coffee
Tobacco
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:

BODYMedium
TANNINSMedium
FRUITMedium - Plus
ACIDITYMedium - High
Serving temperature:
17-18°C (63-64°F)

Food Pairing


Antipasti
Tapas
Sausages
Sausages
Ham
Ham
Mushroom
Mushroom

Duck
Duck
Turkey
Turkey
Lamb
Lamb
Veal
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

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.

Red Wines

White Wines

Alcohol can be addictive. Drink in moderation.

Cards of Wine is an independent web site. Help us to be better. Privacy Policy

© Copyright 2015-2023 Cards of Wine AS. All Rights Reserved.

Contact: Email cardsofwine.com