Wine with Tacos, Plus a Sangria Margarita Recipe

category: featured

The warmer weather and sunshine have us thinking about a certain kind of flippin’ fantastic pairing…The kind stuffed with seasoned meats and veggies, rice, beans, cheese, salsa, and a whole bunch of guacamole. Yes, we’re talking about the pour-fect pairing of wine with tacos. Ok, maybe not one particular pairing, but an entire Internet page worth of pairings (plus a Fizzy Sangria Margarita recipe that covers your bases for any kind of taco…YUM!). Without further ado, let’s start taco-ing!

A Sangria Margarita recipe for any kind of taco

What type of wine goes with tacos?

This question is a difficult one to answer since each taco is unique, but overall, there are three rules which you should generally abide by when pairing wine with tacos: 1) keep it bubbly 2) keep the alcohol content low 3) stick with fruity wines.

  • Try to Keep it Bubbly (in our case, Fizzy).

Sparkling wines help to tame the spicy flavors of the food while refreshing the palate. Invigorate your tacos with a bit of fizz to add to the deliciousness.

  • Keep the Alcohol Content Low.

While two flavors vying for your attention can sometimes be thrilling, in this case, it is not. Let the wine complement the taco, not fight it.

  • Stick with Fruits.

Have you ever had Mexican style chili-ed fruits? Something about the spice of the chili pepper mixed with the sweetness of the fruits…well, it’s just fan-flippin’-tastic! The same can be applied to seasoned tacos and wine. The fruit amplifies the delicious taco flavors.

A tray of tacos with salsa, lettuce, and cheese

The Best Taco and Wine Pairings (Because We’re All Dreaming of Wine With Tacos)

The refreshing berry flavors and bubbles of the fizzy rosé are a juicy complement to the spicy flavors of shrimp tacos with a garlic or chili-lime glaze. If you’re looking to focus solely on the seafood and wine combination, then Pinot Grigio is up your alley. The tropical fruit flavors of the slightly dry wine are an energizing splash following the heat of a bite of shrimp taco.

If your fish tacos are on the spicier side of things, the fizzy Crisp white is the way to go. The energizing bubbles help you tame the fire while the sweet fruit flavors help to wash it down. If your taco is a bit on the heavier side (say, doused in mole sauce?), then creamy Chardonnay is the perfect accompaniment.

There’s no combination like a jammy, chilled red wine washing down spicy grilled onions and peppers…Unless it’s a deliciously semi-sweet Riesling arriving to put out the fire! But really, you can’t go wrong with either of these wines when devouring a plate of veggie tacos.

Let’s flashback to the previous recommendation to stick with fruity flavors when you’re pairing wine with tacos….What better way than with a fizzy, delicious Sangria? Did we mention that this pairing hits on all three pairing rules? Flip yes it does! Not only does fizzy Sangria hit the ball out of the park, but so do the bold berry flavors of Merlot. The juiciness of Carne Asada tacos and the fruit flavors of flipflop Merlot are a taste bud tantalizing pair.

Since Sangria was a homerun with Carne Asada, you best believe that the same goes for Carnitas! Spicy shredded pork and refreshing Sangria are a pair to be reckoned with…just behind Carnitas and Cabernet. Maybe it’s the alliteration, or maybe it’s the boldness of the pair, but the spice of the Cab really hits the spot with a tasty Carnitas taco.

tacos
May 25, 2018
flipflop Wines, Livermore, CA