Mencia & Me: A love story

Before living in Spain, I had only ever tried Mencia in the form of Rosé, which was lovely but as is the case for most Rosés, I don't remember much about it. That experience couldn't be more different than the Mencia reds I've been bingeing since arriving in Madrid.

Where it is

There are two regions well known for the Mencia grape: Bierzo in Léon and nearby Ribeira Sacra in eastern Galicia. While the region of Rias Baixas (also in Galicia) and the grape Albariño was covered in my WSET course, these other popular winemaking regions in Spain weren't discussed at all because they really only started gaining popularity in last 20-30 years.

The Wine

Mencia can have an animalistic quality along with some herbs and dark or red fruits. It can also be floral and have mineral qualities (slate soils) and it always has a nice acid backbone. But you had me at animal. As Jon Bonné describes in his crib sheet on Galician reds, Mencia has some of the best qualities of Syrah (spices and feral) and Cab Franc (herbal and chili pepper) which explains why this wine is so darn delicious.

In both Ribeira Sacra and Bierzo there are establish winemakers and those up-and-coming making delicious Mencias. Raúl Pérez is perhaps the most famous of the former along with Pedro Rodríguez of Guímaro. According to The Wines of Northern Spain by Sarah Jane Evans MW, some other bodegas (bodega = winery) to know in Ribeira Sacra are Envínate, Fedellos do Couto and Ponte da Boga. Casa de Burbia, Cuatro Pasos, Estefanía and Losada Vinos de Finca are among some of her suggested Bierzo producers.

Where to buy

• Shameless plug for Grand Cata D.C. which carries a wide range of Spanish wines from all over the country and where I worked before departing the U.S. Their inventory is always changing so head over to see what they have.

• Use wine-searcher to find specific bottles being sold all over the world.

• Or do what I like to do and search by importers you already love and trust. In my opinion, Jose Pastor Selections is where it's at for "New" Spanish wines, currently carrying from eight bodegas in Galicia!

There are a ton of areas of Spain making interesting and new styles of wine that deviate greatly from what Americans remember of the super oaked Rioja boom in the 80s. While the wine education courses might not update their curriculum anytime soon to reflect this revolution, you should get your hands on Mencia and taste for yourself!