Asian and international
🌮 What wine goes with tacos?
Tacos are a format, not a dish, so the filling decides the wine: al pastor is sweet and spiced, carnitas is rich and fatty, fish tacos are light and citrus-driven, and carne asada brings char. What they share is lime, coriander and usually some chilli.
Lime is the constant, and it sets a high acidity bar — a wine with less acid than the squeeze on top will taste flabby. Chilli sets an alcohol ceiling at the same time, which rules out most big reds.
The best matches
Albariño
About this grapeFor fish and prawn tacos. High acid, saline, with enough stone-fruit texture to handle a crema or a chipotle mayo. It behaves like a squeeze of lime that happens to be a wine.
Gamay
About this grapeFor carne asada and carnitas. Cru Beaujolais served cool has bright red fruit, low tannin and enough acidity for the lime, and it will not amplify the chilli the way a Cabernet would.
Off-dry Riesling
About this grapeFor al pastor, where pineapple and chilli meet. The residual sugar picks up the sweetness in the marinade and cools the heat at the same time.
Tempranillo (young, unoaked)
About this grapeA joven Rioja has the savoury red fruit to meet grilled meat without the vanilla oak of a Reserva, which would clash with coriander and lime. Cheap, cheerful and correct.
What to avoid
Heavily oaked wines of any colour — vanilla and coriander is an unpleasant combination — and anything above 14%, which turns moderate chilli into a problem.
One thing to keep in mind
Serve everything cool, reds included. A Gamay at 13°C alongside tacos on a warm evening is one of the easiest wins in food and wine.
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