Tacos, burritos, enchiladas, chili and nachos: Mexican cuisine is synonymous with vibrancy, intensity and colour. A universe of flavours that mixes spices, spiciness and genuine ingredients. But how best to accompany such rich and varied dishes? The answer lies in the right wine.
In this guide we help you choose the ideal wines to pair with Mexican cuisine, with a selection of Italian labels that enhance every flavour, from the freshness of guacamole sauce to the depth of chilli con carne. Whether it is dinner with friends or a quick lunch, a good wine can make all the difference.
Mexican cuisine: origins, ingredients and how to choose the right wine
Mexican cuisine is rooted in a thousand-year-old tradition of corn, beans, avocado, lime, chilli, meat and spices. These ingredients are combined with intense cooking, bold flavours and complex sauces. The ideal pairing? Wines with acidity, structure and aromas capable of holding up the intensity of the dishes and, in some cases, tone down the spiciness.
Perfect wines to try to accompany Mexican specialities:
- Aromatic or fresh whites: excellent for dishes with lime and avocado;
- Soft and spicy reds: for meat, chilli and complex sauces;
- Lively bubbles: for fried food, nachos and appetisers;
- Fruity rosés: for corn or spicy chicken dishes.
Perfect wines to pair with Mexican specialities
Spicy, rich and full of contrasts: Mexican cuisine challenges even the most classic pairings. To best accompany it, one needs wines with lively acidity, expressive aromas, soft tannins and a good ability to cleanse the palate. The challenge is to balance the spiciness, bring out the freshness of the ingredients and enhance the complexity of the preparations. Below, we guide you in choosing the perfect labels for each dish, from the most popular street food to traditional desserts.
Tacos al pastor, carnitas, spicy chicken
Among the most popular and popular preparations, tacos represent the quintessence of Mexican flavour. Intense marinades, succulent meats and spicy sauces call for wines that can hold their own.
- Barbera d'Asti DOCG: bright acidity, perfect for cutting through the fattiness and spiciness.
- Primitivo di Manduria: fruity and enveloping, it accompanies spicy meat with roundness.
- Montepulciano d'Abruzzo: robust but balanced, ideal with meat and spices.
Guacamole, ceviche, corn and avocado salads
Fresh and colourful dishes, perfect as appetisers or side dishes, in which fish, lime, coriander and avocado dominate the scene. The combination should favour acidity and freshness.
- Vermentino: savoury and citrusy, enhances lime and coriander.
- Sauvignon Blanc: perfect with ceviche due to its lively aromaticity.
- Grillo di Sicilia: versatile and fragrant, accompanies with balance.
Nachos with cheese, enchiladas and quesadillas
Filthy dishes, full of flavour and often accompanied by spicy and creamy sauces. The ideal wines must be enveloping, without losing freshness.
- Chianti Classico: with its smooth tannins and the right acidity, it is perfect to contrast with melted cheese.
- Nero d'Avola: spicy and intense, enhances enchiladas.
- Dry Lambrusco: for a fresher and more original combination, even with spicy dishes.
Chicken or beef fajitas, burritos
Meat, spices, grilled vegetables and soft tortillas: fajitas and burritos are true comfort dishes, rich but balanced. The right wine should support and complement them.
- Pinot Noir: light but complex, perfect with chicken fajitas.
- Rosato di Negroamaro: fresh and fruity, balances the savouriness of the burrito.
- Frappato di Sicilia: ideal with mixed dishes, with hints of light spices.
Mexican sweets: churros, flan and tres leches cakes
The perfect finale? Sweet, mouth-watering, fragrant. Mexican desserts require aromatic end-of-meal wines with a balanced sweetness, capable of enhancing cinnamon, chocolate and caramel.
- Moscato d'Asti: aromatic and light, perfect with churros.
- Brachetto d'Acqui: for chocolate or cream desserts, also with a hint of strawberry.
- Passito di Pantelleria: for flans or desserts with caramel and cream.
DISCOVER RED WINES TO PAIR WITH MEXICAN FOOD
DISCOVER WHITE WINES TO PAIR WITH MEXICAN
DISCOVER SPARKLING WINES TO PAIR WITH MEXICAN FOOD
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