A Mexican Chef Explains Which Wines To Pair With All Kinds Of Tacos

If you automatically reach for a crisp Mexican beer to pair with your tacos, you are missing out on how well they can work with wine. It's true that Mexico loves beer, but a good wine knows no borders. The same complexities and characteristics that make it great with a steak make it just as great with a steak taco. To learn how to pair wine with tacos, we reached out to an expert, Chef Geno Bahena of Manchamanteles restaurant in Chicago, to give us a rundown.

Before he got into specific wines, Bahena gave us some great general tips for pairing wine and tacos. As a baseline, he says wines should be paired with the sauce first, telling us that "the classics of Mexican food are always defined by their sauces." The key ingredient here is usually chile, so Bahena explains that you typically want to look for white wines with green chiles, and red wines for red chiles. Beyond that, acidity and spiciness are also key. 

As Bahena recommends, "Match a wine's acidity to the characteristic lime, sour orange, and fruit vinegar found in many classic Mexican sauces." Essentially, pick a wine that matches or exceeds what's in the dish. High-acid whites like albariño or sauvignon blanc, and reds like pinot noir, will balance out fatty dishes, while complimenting lighter ones. The spiciness of different types of salsa and the fruitiness of various wines should also be considered. Generally, a fruit-forward wine is better with spicier dishes. But Bahena warns, "Matching fruitiness to spice doesn't mean matching sweetness to spice. Pairing off-dry wine with spicy food can lack the finesse offered by fruity dry wines, and can even overwhelm the food's flavor."

Tempranillo is the most planted of Spanish wine grapes, and it's the top choice Bahena recommends for tacos al carbón with carne asada. He explains, "The wine has enough structure for the beef, but its earthy and fruity character also complements the charcoal smoke, roasted chiles, grilled onions and corn tortilla." That fruitiness is better suited over tannic wines like Cabernet, which fight against the salsa on tacos. But it isn't just about beef. Bahena says earthy tempranillo is great with heavily seasoned carnitas and is "particularly good with grilled onions, nopales, and roasted salsa."

Malbec is a wine with dark fruity notes, but with a little more tannin, giving it a bold flavor. Bahena says this is another great choice for carne asada, and beef tacos in general. He tells us that "dark fruit and moderate tannin complement grilled beef and charred flavors," and if you're getting carne asada tacos, it's particularly great with fatty cuts. But you won't just find those charred flavors that malbec pairs so well with in grilled meat — it's also nice with tacos featuring a smoky, chipotle-based sauce.

Grenache is a great all-purpose wine for Mexican food, but Bahena tells us its best pairing is anything pork-based. He explains that its "bright red-fruit flavors work with the richness of pork," while its "acidity helps clean the palate from the pork fat." Grenache is also a moderately tannic wine, which he says won't fight charred flavors, like crispy edges on carnitas. The wine's ripe fruit flavors are also a great example of what pairs well with spicy salsa. As Bahena notes, "[It] works especially well with salsa verde, pickled onions, cilantro, and lime."

This is an acidic, spicy red wine that has strong berry flavors, and you may also see it by its Italian name, Primitivo. This is another wine that Bahena suggests pairing with carne asada tacos, but it's particularly suited to spicier versions. He explains that Zinfandel is "fruit-forward and bold enough for smoky meat, while its fruit balances chile heat." That is going to come mostly from the salsa, so when your taco topping is extra hot or smoky (carne asada or not), consider a Zinfandel.

Speaking of pork tacos, Bahena also thinks the crisp flavors of a rosé are great with carnitas and many other options. He adds that its lighter notes are an ideal match, "especially if the carnitas are served with citrus, salsa verde, or fresh toppings." But rosé is pretty versatile overall. It's good with any lighter taco filling, primarily chicken and poultry. Bahena also notes that its typically high acidity is a natural compliment to most taco toppings, telling us that it "refreshes the palate and works with lime, cilantro, and salsa."

This is another versatile wine that can be paired with a few different kinds of tacos. As Bahena explained earlier, white wines pair best with green salsas, and according to the chef, Sauvignon blanc is good for "sauces that feature tomatillos as background to the chiles." White wines are also ideal for pairing with seafood, as their crisp profiles won't overwhelm mild-tasting fish. But the best part of Sauvignon blanc is its citrus notes, which bring out ingredients that are common in Mexican cooking. Bahena says, "[Its] bright acidity cuts through richness and complements lime and fresh salsa."

This variety of white wine may not be as well known in America as sauvignon blanc, but it's a popular grape in Spain and Portugal that's perfect for Mexican dishes, as well. While also bright and refreshing, it stands out from sauvignon blanc for its salinity. Bahena says that the "crisp acidity and citrus/mineral notes are excellent with seafood and salsa verde." The combo of light fruit, acidity, and salinity in albariño also makes it great with vegetables, fruit, and herbs. So try it with veggie tacos featuring fillings like squash or toppings like mango salsa.

Cabernet sauvignon is a classic steakhouse wine, but Bahena says it also works with tacos, suggesting "a premium, heavily charred steak taco." But here the pairing is a little more complicated. Cabernet sauvignon is notoriously bold, dry, and tannic, which is good for rich, fatty cuts of beef. But Bahena reminds us that the sauce on a taco is just as important, urging us to "choose a softer cabernet so the tannins don't overpower the tortilla and salsa" and avoid highly spicy salsas, as tannins can increase the burning sensation and make things unpleasant.