When eating Mexican food, many people order a beer or cocktail to accompany it and finish off their meal with a shot of tequila. Some people believe that wine does not always go with Mexican dishes due to the complex blend of spice, acidity, and sweetness in many of the cuisine’s dishes. However, it is possible to successfully pair wine with Mexican food if wine is your drink of choice. So, what are the best wines to pair with Mexican cuisine? Here are our recommendations for pairing wines with Mexican food.
The Main Considerations When Pairing Wine with Mexican Food
Mexican cuisine is diverse, so not all wines will go with all dishes. So, people often ask themselves, which wines are good with Mexican food? However, you do not need to overcomplicate your choice of wine, as there are three simple rules to help you decide:
- Herb content: If the dish contains many green herbs, such as coriander leaf/ cilantro, choose wines with higher acidity and a herbaceous taste. One of the best examples is Sauvignon Blanc.
- Meat: Although the rule does not always apply, the colour of meat generally indicates the colour of wine you should drink. So, red wine goes with red meat, and white wine goes with white meat.
- Spice: Many Mexican dishes contain spice, which is something to consider when pairing wine with Mexican food. Cold, sweet wines are best for spicier dishes and choose wines with moderate tannins and lower alcohol content for dishes containing spices such as chilli, paprika, or cayenne pepper.
Pairing Wine with Mexican Meat Dishes
There are some amazing Mexican dishes that include meat, and pork, chicken, and beef are the most common meats used in Mexican cuisine. Many of these dishes have increased in popularity globally, as people now cook these at home. One reason for the increase in popularity is television, with celebrity chefs such as Rick Bayless and Jose Andres featuring Mexican cuisine on TV. Here are our suggestions for pairing wines with Mexican food containing meat.
| Mexican Dishes with Meat | Suggested Wine Pairings |
|---|---|
| Tortilla dishes with toppings, such as tacos, chalupas, sopes, and tostadas. | Lambrusco, Spanish Garnacha, dry rosé |
| Dishes stuffed with meat, such as tamales, gorditas, and enchiladas | Most rosé wines will go with these dishes, or try Rioja or Tempranillo if they are not too spicy |
| Dishes with chorizo (spicy sausage) | Sparkling wines, such as Crémant or Cava |
| Barbecued meats with spice (barbacoa) | Tempranillo, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Douro Reds |
| Carne Asada: Spiced and charred Mexican beef | Carménère, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec |
| Carnitas: Braised shredded pork with spics | Sparkling Brut Rosé |
| Mexican cured meats | Bold and earthy reds, such as Gran Reserva Rioja, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese or Nero d’Avola |
| Arroz con pollo: A Mexican rice dish like chicken paella | Choose white wines with high acidity, such as Cava, Albarino, Vinho Verde, or Sauvignon Blanc |
| Al pastor: Spit-grilled pork or goat | Sparkling Brut Rosé |
Pairing Wine with Mexican Food with Vegetables, Cheese, or Seafood
| Mexican Dish | Suggested Wine Pairings |
|---|---|
| Empanadas: Pastry filled with cheese and vegetables | Spanish Verdejo, Sauvignon Blanc, Garnacha Rose. For spicier dishes, choose sweet or fruity wines. |
| Chile Rellenos: Fried breaded green chiles stuffed with cheese | As above |
| Quesadillas | Earthy wines, such as Tempranillo, or Sangiovese |
| Arroz con camarones: A dish of rice and prawns | Earthy wines, such as Tempranillo or Sangiovese |
Pairing Wine with Mexican Food Sauces
| Mexican Sauce | Main Ingredients | Suggested Wine Pairings |
|---|---|---|
| Achiote paste | Yucatanm orange juice, cumin, coriander, garlic, annatto seeds, cloves, and allspice | Zinfandel |
| Adobe sauce | Guajillo chillies, garlic, cumin, sugar, apple cider vinegar | Crémant, Prosecco, Moscato d’Asti |
| Chiltomate | Tomatoes, habanero, onion, garlic | Moscato d’Asti, Prosecco |
| Enchilada sauce | Tomatoes and red chillies | Sangiovese |
| Green Chilli Sauce | Predominantly green chillies | Gruner Veltliner or Sauvignon Blanc |
| Guacamole | Avocado, lime, chillies, garlic | Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Riesling, Verdejo |
| Molé sauce | Chocolate, red chillies, sesame seeds, plantains, pumpkin seeds, garlic | Instead of wine, try some chilled Amontillado sherry |
| Pico de Gallo (red salsa) | Tomato, onion, cilantro, and jalapeno | Gruner Veltliner, Vihno Verde, Albarino, Pinot Gris |
| Ranchero sauce | Cooked green chillies and tomatoes | Carménère, Gamay, or Cabernet Franc |
| Red chilli sauce | Predominantly red chillies | Riesling |
| Tomatillo salsa | Predominantly tomatillos | Verdejo, Gruner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc |
Wine Pairing Suggestions for Tex-Mex Dishes
Many other cuisines are influenced by Mexican food. Texas has a high Mexican population due to the state’s proximity to the Mexican border, which means that Texan food has taken some influence from Mexican cuisine, resulting in Tex-Mex dishes. Generally, the same rules apply for pairing wine with Tex-Mex dishes as they do when pairing wines with Mexican food. Here are our recommendations:
| Tex-Mex Dish | Suggested Wine Pairings |
|---|---|
| Burritos | Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Tempranillo |
| Chilli Con Carne | Cava |
| Chimichangas | Extra-Brut Cava |
| Fajitas (with beef) | Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec |
| Hardshell tacos | Rioja Reserva |
| Nachos with cheese, salsa, and guacamole | Vino Critic recommends any dry sparkling wine, Rioja Crianza, Californian Chardonnay, Chilean Carménère |
If you want to expand your wine-pairing knowledge further, you might also like to read the following articles:
- Pairing wine with Indian food
- Pairing wine with turkey
- Best Italian white wines
- Best white wines for cooking
- Best red wines for cooking
If you have some recommendations for pairing wines with Mexican food, let us know in the comments below.