Mencia grapes
Of all the wines that grow in Spain, Mencia has a special place in the hearts of all the lovers, not only in Spain, but across the whole world.
Though the wine only grows in Spain and Portugal, but the lovers of this wine are scattered across the globe.
Not many years ago, the wine was not very popular among the masses because of its confinement to Spain and a bit of Portugal, but the people who love wine, know this wine and absolutely love this wine.
The popularity is rising slowly and steadily.
In Spain, it is a popular wine grape variety. It is primarily grown in the northwestern part of Spain.
The Mencia red wine is known for its medium body and floral as well as red fruit flavors. The wine lovers, who have a thing for aromatic red wines, must try this wine too.
They are surely going to love it. The wines prepared from Mencia grapes have a rich color and a very rich aroma.
Mencia is known by many other names like Giao, Fernao Pires Tinta, Jaen Galego, Jaen, Loureiro Tinto, Negro, Mencin Negra, Mencia Roble, Tinto Mollar and Tinto Mencia.
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Origin of Mencia
Mencia is the typical wine of Spain. As already mentioned in this article, Mencia grows in the northwestern part of Spain primarily in Biezro, Valdeorras, Ribeira Sacra and some other regions.
It is also grown in some regions in Portugal. Earlier, the love for this wine was confined only to Spain and Portugal where this grape was cultivated.
The popularity of this grape variety rose during 1990s and today, this is one of the most demanded and loved wine grape varieties.
Many winemakers are now working with this grape variety. This wine has won an international recognition now.
The credit of the high yields of this wine goes to the post- Phylloxera plantation, but it produced a little dilute wine.
To add to the concentration of the wine, the new breeds of winemakers are growing it schist soil on the hillsides.
Characteristics of Mencia
Mencia is a mix of fruity flavors. The dominant flavors of this wine are sour cherry, pomegranate, blackberry and black licorice.
The mix of medium fruity flavors is absolutely amazing. The credit of this flavor goes to aroma compounds known as terpenoids.
Terpenoids are responsible for the enticing fruity and flowery aroma of raspberry, strawberry, black licorice, cherry and pomegranate.
Apart from all these fruity flavors, Mencia wine also shows a hint of black pepper taste.
Talking about the texture, the wine carries a crushed gravel or granite- like minerality in terms of texture. The peppery taste is due to it.
Mencia is a medium to high- bodied wine. It has medium to high amount of tannin as well as acidity.
The alcohol level also ranges from medium to high. The wine has a rich, deep red color and a bit of violet hues.
The red color of this wine is due to anthocyanin (pigment of the wine). It is a dry wine.
Which Food Goes Well With Mencia?
Mencia is an amazing food wine. It goes well with many food items. It goes good with a wide array of cheese, herbs and spices, and vegetables.
Talking about cheese, this wine can be paired with a number of cheeses like Feta, Monterey jack, goat cheese, Monjorero, Gouda, White Cheddar, Mahon, Roquefort, Raclette, Pont- L’Eveque, Neufchatel,
Dry Jack Cheese, Bucheron, Saint- Nectare, Serra da Estrela (Portugal), Vacherin, Ossau- Iraty (France), Azeitao (Portugal), Tetilla (Spain), Idiazabal (also called as Petit Basque), Machego (Spain), San Simon da Costa (Spain) and Quesco Iberico (Spain).
The wine tastes best when paired with vegetables like Portobello mushroom steak, mushroom risotto, red cabbage, onion, lentil, tomato, wild rice, prune, bell pepper, hazelnut, stewed apricot, artichoke, olives, et al.
The fruitiness of Mencia enhances when it is paired with herbs and spices like white pepper, black pepper, nutmeg, clove, allspice, fennel seed, anise, Sichuan pepper, black cardamom, sage, rosemary, garlic, bay leaf, caraway, dill, shallot, hickory, Dijon mustard, celery seed and savory barbecue sauce.
As Mencia wines are already fruity, it would be better if you avoid pairing them with sweet and fruity dishes.
Michael Bredahl
Editor-in-Chief and Wine Writer
Michael is an online enthusiast, with a lot of knowledge about online marketing. Traveling around the world to hunt for the perfect wine. Latest on Sicily, where Etna has a huge impact on the taste, which is strong with a bitter aftertaste for the youngest wines, but older wines are fantastic. Drinking wine, and writing about them, are one the passions. Remember to drink responsibly 🙂
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