2008 Pazo das Tapias Alma de Blanco Godello Monterrei
2007 Pena das Donas Verdes Matas MencĆa Ribeira Sacra
Exploring Spanish wines often means encountering unfamiliar grape varieties. Two recent encounters -- mencĆa and godello -- came at the suggestion of Andrew Traughber at Bon Vivant Wines (123 South Main Street, Columbia, Illinois; 618-281-3464), which Riverfront Times named "Best Wine Shop" in 2009. Both these wines provide further evidence in favor of establishing relationships with good merchants.
 |
| Wikimedia Commons |
| The mencĆa grape of Spain |
āGodello and mencĆa are indigenous Spanish grapes that hail from regions only a few miles apart. (In fact, godello is grown in the region where today's mencĆa wine was made.)
Godello's a white grape, and the wine featured here comes from Monterrei, which forms part of Spain's border with Portugal. Monterrei is not exactly a star of Spanish wine. In fact, authorities suspended its status as a Denominación de Origen (D.O.) for a time before restoring it in 1994.
MencĆa, a red grape, is similarly obscure in terms of international recognition, though not quite as much so as godello. Today's example comes from the Ribeira Sacra, a small region comprising only about 3,000 acres of vines, and one that only achieved D.O. standing in 1997.
The Ribeira Sacra is becoming increasingly prestigious and has seen the founding of many new wineries over the past fifteen years, but the region's history dates back to Roman times. Remnants remain of ancient terraces on vineyards that rise steeply from the rivers that run through the region. It's heartening to see them revived, particularly with their indigenous inhabitant, mencĆa.
First up...
More >>