Pairing Wine With Your Tacos
What do beer, margaritas and wine have in common? The perfect way to welcome the weekend, refreshing drinks for a warm evening, and of course – They all pair well with the official food of Tuesdays everywhere: tacos!
Now, we’re fully aware that beer and margaritas are most people’s go-to drinks when it comes to tacos, but we’re here to help demystify the pure magic of pairing wine with tacos. So, if you find yourself asking, “What wine goes with Mexican food?” Read on.
Here are for the best kinds of wine to pair with the five most popular types of tacos …
Carne Asada (grilled steak)
Known for their rich, grilled steak flavor, carne asada tacos pair best with a red wine that can hold its own but that also won’t overpower the flavors of the taco’s lighter toppings. We recommend our Pinot Noir or something similar – a light to medium red – to pair with this Mexican street food favorite. Our Pinot Noir is medium-bodied, as are most grown in the colder climate of northern Michigan, with firm tannins and a fruity finish.
Fish
Dry Riesling is our favorite wine to pair with seafood, and fish tacos are no different. This stunning wine breaks the assumption of sweet Rieslings to offer a dry white that is crisp, fruity and fresh, making it an ideal pairing with fish tacos of any kind.
Classic American Tacos with Ground Beef
Crunchy shell tacos with ground beef are an American classic, so including them here was a must. If you’re making these tacos, we recommend our Silhouette Red, our red table wine made from a blend of varieties. This wine is off-dry and medium bodied with a fruity and bittersweet chocolate flavor profile, offering a perfect balance to the richness of ground beef.
Carnitas (pork)
Carnitas is slow roasted pork that’s usually fried to crisp before serving. This tender yet crispy taco filling is made from fatty cuts of pork, meaning these tacos require a wine with acidity to cut through the fat and balance the strong flavor. We recommend our Etcetera Rosé for its satisfying acidity, robust fruity flavors and subtle earthiness.
Chicken
Chicken tacos can be flavored in a wide variety of ways, but we expect our Gru Vin will pair well no matter what exactly you have up your sleeve in the kitchen. The citrusy flavors of this bright wine are our favorite pairing for spicy food, making it the perfect wine to sip alongside tacos.
Put our taco wine pairing suggestions into action or explore for yourself by tasting your way through our offerings. If you have your own special taco or other Mexican-style recipe you like to make, come to Old Mission! Our tasting room staff will be happy to help you find the perfect CGT pairing.