AWS
members are boundary pushers, game changers and pairing experimenters, always
looking to switch classic routines. It’s true that you can never go wrong with
traditional regional pairings, like German beer with pretzels, white zinfandel
with squirt cheese or, of course, Tequila and tacos. If there are chips and
salsa you can bet there’s going to be a margarita found somewhere nearby. For
your next taco Tuesday, before grabbing that bottle of Patrón (or, if you’re on
our budget, Jose Cuervo), consider these wine and salsa pairings.
Salsa
Roja with Dry to Off-Dry Riesling
Most
taco nights generally start with some communal salsa roja and tortilla chips on
the table. Salsa roja, a puréed dip of tomatoes, chili pepper, garlic and
onion, needs to have a high acid white, potentially with a touch of residual
sugar. There’s no better pairing for this sauce than a dry to off-dry Riesling,
particularly from the Finger Lakes region of New York. The slight sweetness
from the residual sugar in an off-dry white will balance out the heat from the
chili pepper, while the acidity works to bring out the various layers of flavor
in the sauce. Off-dry Chenin Blanc is also a great match.
Mole
with Zinfandel
Mole
sauce is a perfect excuse to pair red wine with tacos. Generally speaking, red
wines, which are higher in tannin and alcohol than white, are a bad with spicy
food. The higher alcohol percentage makes even mildly spicy dishes feel hotter.
However, the less intense components that make up Mole (chocolate, garlic,
sesame seeds, plantains, etc.) are perfectly complemented by a full bodied, New
World red. Zinfandels from California are a great pairing; their fruit forward
palates and flavors bring out the rich layers of ingredients that go into Mole
sauce. Darker chili flavors and sweet undertones are enhanced by the juiciness
of a Zinfandel.
Tomatillo
with Sauvignon Blanc
Tomatillos
(those green, mini-tomato like vegetables from Mexico that you never can figure
out when you see them in the Giant Eagle) are the base to this green salsa,
flavored with cilantro, oregano, cumin and salt. While acidity is also
important in this pairing, the tropical fruit flavors of American Sauvignon
Blanc make an ideal pairing for this sauce. The stone fruit flavors and acidity of a Sauvignon Blanc accent the spices
used to flavor salsa verde without overpowering the dip itself. Verdejo from
Spain can also be a great match as well.
Pico
de Gallo with Albariño
In Spanish, Pico de Gallo means "beak of the rooster". This
chunky tomato dish is made with onion, jalapeño and cilantro, making it an
ideal pairing for the Albariño. Again, the key component here is the high
acidity of the Albariño grape. The acidity cuts through the spice of the
jalapeño pepper, yet brings out the flavors of onion and cilantro. Look to
Galicia for some examples of what Spain can do with this white varietal or
further south to Portugal, where Albariño (otherwise known as Alvarinho) finds
its origins.
CHECK THE BLOG OFTEN FOR MORE TIPS, RECIPES AND NEWS
No comments:
Post a Comment