View source for Mencía (grape)

{{Short description|Variety of grape}}
{{for|other grape varieties called Jaén|Jaén (disambiguation)#Grapes}}
{{Infobox grape variety
| name          = Mencía
| color         = Noir
| image         = Uva Mencia.JPG
| caption       = Mencía grapes in Ribeira Sacra
| species       = ''[[Vitis vinifera]]''
| also_called   = See [[#Synonyms|list of synonyms]]
| origin        = Spain
| hazards       = <!-- Viticultural hazards     -->
| regions       = Galicia
| notable_wines = [[Bierzo (DO)|Bierzo DO]]
}}
'''Mencía''', known as '''Jaen''' in [[Portuguese wine|Portugal]], is a [[grape variety]] native to the western part of the [[Iberian Peninsula]]. In Spain, it is planted on over {{convert|9100|ha}}, with another {{convert|2500|ha}} in neighboring Portugal. It is primarily found in the [[Bierzo (DO)|Bierzo]], [[Ribeira Sacra (DO)|Ribeira Sacra]], [[Valdeorras (DO)|Valdeorras]], [[Monterrei (DO)|Monterrei]] and [[Dão DOC|Dão]] wine regions.<ref name="OCW">{{cite encyclopedia |editor=Jancis Robinson |editor-link=Jancis Robinson |encyclopedia=[[Oxford Companion to Wine]] |edition=3rd |title=Mencía |year=2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=0-19-860990-6 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont00janc/page/435 435–436] |url=https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont00janc/page/435 }}</ref><ref name="Robinson2"/>
Most wines produced from Mencía have traditionally been light, pale, relatively fragrant red wines for early consumption. This style  of wine was the result of [[Phylloxera epidemic|post-Phylloxera]] plantations on fertile plains, which tended to give high [[yield (wine)|yield]]s but diluted wine. In recent years, much more concentrated and complex wines have been produced by a new generation of winemakers, primarily from [[old vine]]s growing on hillsides, often on [[schist]] soils, in combination with careful vineyard management. This has led to a renewed interest in Mencía and the [[Denominación de origen|denominaciones de origen]]s using it, such as [[Bierzo (DO)|Bierzo]], [[Valdeorras (DO)|Valdeorras]], [[Ribeira Sacra (DO)|Ribeira Sacra]], [[Monterrei (DO)|Monterrei]] and the little-known [[Liébana (wine)|Liébana]].
Since the 1990s, the grape is increasing in popularity, and an increasing number of noted [[Spanish wine]]makers are now working with it.
==Relationship to other grapes==
[[File:Dao_red_wine.jpg|right|thumb|Portuguese [[Dão DOC|Dão wine]] featuring Jaen (Mencia) in the blend.]]
It was once thought to be an ancient clone of [[Cabernet Franc]], with which it shares some of its aromas, an impression which has been dispelled with [[DNA profiling]].<ref name="Robinson2"/>
Instead, DNA profiling carried out by the Department of Vegetal Biology of the [[Universidad Politécnica de Madrid]] has concluded that Mencía is identical to [[Portugal]]'s ''Jaen do Dão''<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |editor=Jancis Robinson |editor-link=Jancis Robinson |encyclopedia=[[Oxford Companion to Wine]] |edition=3rd |title=Jaen |year=2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=0-19-860990-6 |page=[https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont00janc/page/372 372] |url=https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont00janc/page/372 }}</ref> (or ''Jaen'' for short) grape variety. However, just recently it has been determined via microsatellite DNA fingerprinting analysis (a.k.a. DNA profiling) that, contrary to what was previously believed, Mencía (Jaén do Dão) likely originated in Portugal since it was the result of a crossing between [[Alfrocheiro]] and [[Patorra]], two Portuguese red grape cultivars from the Dão and the Douro regions respectively.<ref>Grapevine cultivar 'Alfrocheiro' or 'Bruñal' plays a primary role in the relationship among Iberian grapevines. Cunha et al., Vitis 54 (Special Issue), 59–65 (2015).</ref>
==Synonyms==
Over the years, Mencía has been known under a variety of synonyms including: Fernao Pires Tinta, Giao, Jaen, Loureiro Tinto, Mencin, Negra, Negro, Mencia Roble, Tinto Mencia and Tinto Mollar.<ref name="VIVC">[http://www.vivc.de/datasheet/dataResult.php?data=7623 Mencia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405172616/http://www.vivc.de/datasheet/dataResult.php?data=7623 |date=2012-04-05 }}, [[Vitis International Variety Catalogue]], accessed on May 25th, 2014</ref> It is known as Jaén colorado in [[Province of Léon|León]], not to be confused with [[Jaén blanco]] or [[Jaén rosado]] (both of which are variants of Cayetana) and [[Jaén tinto (grape)|Jaén tinto]] from [[Province of Huelva|Huelva]].<ref name="Robinson2">{{cite book |last1=Robinson |first1=Jancis |last2=Harding |first2=Julia |last3=Vouillamoz |first3=José |title=Wine Grapes: A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours |date=2013 |publisher=Penguin Books Limited |isbn=9780141968827 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YGTnD2wGn94C |language=en }}</ref>
==References==
{{portal|Wine}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Wines}}
[[Category:Red wine grape varieties]]
[[Category:Grape varieties of Spain]]
[[Category:Spanish wine]]
[[Category:Galicia (Spain)]]