In the northwest corner of Spain sits Galicia, a lush, maritime region often referred to as Green Spain. There are five wine DOs (Denominaciones de Origen) within the region that include Rías Baixas, Ribeira Sacra, Valdeorras, Monterrei, and Ribeiro.
The cooler climate is well suited to high-acid white varietals — most notably albarino and godello, while the red mencia grape comes into play as you move inland toward the warmer climes of Ribeiro and Ribeira Sacra. The two grapes that intrigue me most from this region are godello and mencia, in part because I’ve tasted some excellent examples of both of late that have reaffirmed my notion that it is a region to watch.
Mencia may well be Spain’s answer to pinot noir, a medium-bodied red that can be fashioned into light, easy-drinking reds or more serious versions akin to a Pommard or Gevrey-Chambertin from Burgundy. Godello is intriguing as well in that the high-acid white can be delicious right out of the gate but with the ability to improve with age, thanks to the acidity and bold fruit combination. The best examples jump out of the glass with a fruit profile that includes citrus and stone fruits along with a core of minerality (think wet stones). Again, the comparison to Burgundy, such as a vibrant St. Aubin, is tangible.
If there is one winemaker who has opened many eyes to the potential of the region, it must surely be Raul Perez. His family owns Castro Ventosa in Bierzo, not only his birthplace but also where he has been making wine since he was a teenager. He’s been called “quite possibly the world’s best winemaker” by Decanter Magazine and other publications, and in Spain he’s known as the “wine wizard”, in part because of his trademark gigantic beard. His red wine, Ultreia Saint Jacques, blended from mencia (mostly) and other grapes, has been called the best wine value in the world (available in Calgary for about $40). Luis Gutierrez of the Wine Advocate found the wine “very tender and fruit-driven, primary and quite open.” He went on to say it’s “a little more Mediterranean, with aromatic herbs and a more powerful palate,” awarding it 94 points.
As much as I tend to avoid wine scores, Luis Gutiérrez is quite possibly the most knowledgeable authority on Spanish wines writing today. I thought the wine was silky smooth with a core of black fruits, some spice, and fine tannins. Not content to be the master of mencia, Perez has other projects around Spain that he produces through his Bodegas y Vinedos wine company.
I’ve been to this part of Spain a couple of times, and pretty much lived on seafood the entire time, something I could get used to. Their diet is heavily dominated by seafood and produce, and yes, the people appear very healthy. Octopus is a local specialty, sort of their answer to chicken, and it pairs well with both albarino and godello, as well as the softer versions of mencia (I don’t eat it anymore because I’m not comfortable eating something that might be smarter than me).
Albarino has an almost creamy texture with a core of lemon curd, and as a food mate it works well with fattier fish, such as halibut and salmon, as well as roasted chicken. Godello would go well with lighter fish and shellfish, salads, or a paella with chicken and chorizo.
Mencia is very versatile; the key is picking a lighter example for the previously mentioned dishes or choosing a fuller-bodied example for things like beef tenderloin or braised short ribs.
The selection of Galician wines in our market is not vast, but the wines I can highly recommend include Raul Perez Ultreia, Lagar de Costa (albarino), El Castro de Valtuille (from Raul Perez, mencia and godello), and Genio y Figura Albarino. For a special occasion. Perez makes a mencia called Valtuille Cepas Centenarias (about $80) from a 100-year-old vineyard that predates and survived phylloxera. (Phylloxera is the louse that wiped out almost all the vineyards in Europe in the late 19th century).
I’m a big fan of Spanish wines in general, from the broad spectrum of wines from the Rioja to the captivating sherries of Jerez, and there is something for every taste and budget. The more I taste wines made from mencia and godello, the more I want, as Galicia seems to be positioning itself, intentionally or not, as Spain’s answer to Burgundy, but with prices that won’t hammer my overdraft limit. Cheers!