Spanish Grapes
Mencía
Mencía is a medium bodied red wine grape from North West Spain and Portugal.
The aromatic grape is known as Jaen in Portugal.
Mencía Flavors
Mencía has floral aromas, combined with fresh red and black fruits like strawberry, raspberry, cherry, black plum, and a touch of licorice and fig.
 Raspberry |
 Strawberry |
 Cherry |
 Plum |
 Violets |
 Fig |
 Licorice |
 Gravel |
Wine Region Galicia
Galicia is a located in north-west Spain.
It is best known for its crisp white wines Albariño and Godello.
Black Grapes
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White Grapes
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Mencía |
Albariño Godello Treixadura |
Red Wines
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White Wines
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Ribeira Sacra |
Albariño Godello Treixadura |
Soil
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Climate |
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Alluvial Granite Schist Slate |
Hilly Cool Climate Atlantic Ocean |
Galicia DO Regions
Galicia has 5 Denominación de Origen:
Rias Baixas (DO 1988)
Rias Baixas DO (lower Rias), close to Portugal, is known to produce the best Albariño in the world.
In Portugal the same grape is called Alvarinho.
Ribeira Sacra (DO 1996)
Ribeira Sacra is best known for the dry red wine Ribeira Sacra from the Mencía grape.
Ribeiro (DO 1932)
Ribeiro is the oldest DO in Galicia
White wines represent 95% of the wine produced in Ribeiro, and is most common is Treixadura.
Monterrei (DO 1994)
Monterrei has become a relevant wine region after of the wines were praised by wine critic Robert M. Parker in 2008.
Valdeorras (DO 1945)
Valdeorras is a historic Galician wine region.
Located along the Sil River valley, it is famous for its native Godello white and Mencía red wines, which thrive in a unique microclimate and mineral-rich slate soils.
Godello is the undisputed star of the region. Nearly extinct fifty years ago, it was successfully rescued and now produces elegant, crisp white wines with notes of stone fruit, minerality, and vibrant acidity.
Mencía is the flagship red grape, yielding medium-bodied wines with red berry aromas, fresh acidity, and subtle earthy or floral undertones.
Geography & Climate
Location: Spanning 1,000 hectares in the northeastern part of the Ourense province, acting as the "Gateway to Galicia".
Soil: Vineyards sit primarily on steep, terraced slopes rich in slate, granite, and quartzite.
Climate: Transitional Mediterranean-Atlantic. It is Galicia's most inland sub-region, featuring warmer summers, cold winters, and high sun exposure that optimally ripens the grapes.