AUGUST 2026
Summer always makes me think of Spain: hot white sand, warm winds, steep vineyards, sweaty cities without AC where people’s skin rubs up against each other and nobody cares. We’re taking a moment for Ribeira Sacra this month, a romantic area of NW Spain (within Galicia) with ancient towns, monasteries, and steep vineyards rolling downhill toward the river Sil. We are focussing on one producer, Adega Algueira, with vineyards planted at an 85-degree slope. They work with native varieties, including Albariño, Loureiro, Mencía, and Godello.
Brandan Godello:
Godello is native to the region, and really underrepresented in the US. This grape was almost extinct in the 1970s, but a few winemakers saw the value in it and promoted the variety to keep it alive. This Godello is grown on south-facing slopes which benefit from more solar radiation due to the sun reflecting off the river throughout the growing season. It is fermented in stainless steel, resulting in a fresh crisp white, a style you might expect from Galicia.
A great wine for Albariño lovers, Godello can range in style from crisp and mineral-driven to full bodied and oaky like a Chardonnay. This one is somewhere in between, with high acid, bright green pear and grapefruit pith notes, a clean finish with lime zest and limestone minerality. The nose has parmesan, yeast, and lemongrass, and the wine on the palate is complex and rich, without being oaky or buttery. The high acid will pair beautifully with a cheese plate, particularly brie or a creamy goat cheese, apricot jams, peach salad, or seafood: oysters, fatty tuna, salmon. Pair it with a papaya salad or a hammock.
Mencía de Añada:
Mencía (or, men-thee-a if you want to do it the Spanish way) is a beloved native variety in Spain. This Mencía is made from steeply terraced vineyards of vines aging from 30 to over 80 years old, so a precious small amount of this wine is made. The grapes undergo a short cold maceration before fermentation to add color and depth. Done entirely in stainless steel, this wine’s heat and dark fruit notes are entirely from the breathless expression of this gorgeous grape. I love this wine.
On the nose, it smells of chocolate covered cherries, red plums, and brambly boysenberry vines. On the palate, find red currant, stewed cranberries, wet stone, and smooth integrated tannins. A medium+ body with deliciously vibrant acidity and depth, this wine will pair well with grilled veggies or beef, pizza with prosciutto, beef kabobs, stuffed mushrooms, a charred burger, or chorizo. Also, try with a cherry pie? Please note: Open this wine for 15 minutes before drinking it. There is a tiny bit of reductiveness which often happens with this grape.
