Last Look at Summer with Pagos de Galir

And boom it’s November! I can’t believe how fast time flies sometimes. As crazy as the summer has been the fall is a time of winding down. The restaurant is only open weekends and I can focus on my wine and get back to the gym among other activities. I look back at this summer and remember the wine friends that came down to visit and the time spent at the pool and on the boat. So here’s one last look at summer with Pagos de Galir.

Pagos de Galir is located in the D.O. Valdeorras appellation that is located within the Galicia region of Spain. In this appellation, they grow Godello and Mencia in soil that consists of schist and slate.

Virgen del Galir was founded in 2002 and it sits in the Galir river valley. The climate has Atlantic influence with cold winters and warm summers.

Wine is meant to be enjoyed with friends and I love to share! So when my friend Kathy came all the way to visit me from Virginia and I hosted her at the restaurant with Pagos de Galir Mencia. If you are not familiar with Mencia, it is a medium-bodied red wine, not to heavy, not to light. It actually goes well with quite a bit of the menu at Kitchen 330.

Kathy ordered the Veal Medallions with goat cheese and horseradish mashed potatoes and sauteed mushrooms and I ordered (yes I got to eat with her) Monkfish wrapped in Prosciutto with paella style rice, chorizo, mussels, clams, tomatoes and gremolata. At first you might say fish with a red wine, but the prosciutto, chorizo and paella totally paired with the Mencia as it paired just as well with the veal too.

Pagos de Galir Mencia 2016 SRP $17.00

Aged in American and French oak barrels for 6 months and then it spent 6 months in the bottle before being released. Dark cherry in color with hints of boysenberry and violets leads to a palate of dark fruit and layers of black cherry. As it open up notes of black licorice become apparent with soft tannins and hint of acidity.

Summer has come to an end and so has boating season. The last ride Paul and took, we took with Pagos de Galir Godello. It was a beautiful day as much of the summer and fall was. There is something so relaxing about boating and having a glass of wine at the end of your ride.

Pagos de Galir Godello 2017 SRP $19.00

Light like summer with a fresh attitude. Floral nose with hints of lemon and lime. Fresh on your palate with hints of passion fruit, pineapple and citrus nuances. Couldn’t have shared the end of boating season with a better wine.

Winephabet Street M is for Mencia

Welcome to Winephabet Street Season 1 Episode 13. Winephabet Street is a monthly series where Lori Budd of Draceana Wines and myself work our way through the alphabet exploring wine and wine regions on letter at a time. The show is live on the third Monday at 8pm and is free, but you must register to attend. Put in on your calendar, pour yourself a glass of wine and hang out with us.

This month we explored the Mencia grape grown in the Northwestern part of Spain. Mainly in the Bierzo region. It was once thought to be a clone of Cabernet Franc but through DNA profiling they found it was identical to Portugal’s Jaen do Dao variety.

This is a grape new to me. Someone at the restaurant left a bottle of Mencia and I tasted it and wasn’t impressed. I was a little worried about the bottle I had at home. Worry not! I was wowed and very impressed with Godelia Mencia SRP $19 and highly recommend it. The grapes in the Godelia Mencia come from 40 to 80 year old vines. The wine goes through malolactic fermentation in barrels and is aged for 12 months in French oak.

To learn more about Bodega Godelia and the wines they produce visit my previous article on Godelia and the white wine they produce. Click here.

Sit back and relax and watch or listen to the webinar. Learn about Mencia and the wines we are drinking. The best is to look at our expressions when we taste what we are drinking. You will see how much Lori and I loved this grape and the wines we chose.

Don’t forget to sign up for July’s episode of Winephabet Street where we go to Italy and learn about the Negroamaro grape. Winephabet Street will take place Monday July 23 at 8pm ET from the comfort of your living room (or wherever you may be). Register here

You can find all past episodes on Winephabetstreet.com and don’t forget to visit our sponsor WINC.com the wine club where wine experts select wines matched to your taste, personalized for you and shipped right to your door.

Watch the Webinar

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