Enchiladas are a Mexican dish consisting of a corn tortilla rolled around a filling and covered with a spicy savory sauce. There are many different takes on the enchiladas but it typically consists of meats, vegetables, beans, cheese, salsa, tortilla and sauce; other ingredients include sour cream, rice, guacamole and coriander.
The name Enchilada came from the Spanish saying “to add chili pepper”. This dish can be found in fast food houses, food trucks, restaurant menus to family dinner tables. Enchilada sauce is chili based, made from chili peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic and various spices; the sauce is the key ingredient!
Wine Characteristics To Pair With Enchiladas
| Characteristic | Detail |
| Sweetness | Dry |
| Acidity | High |
| Tannins | Low-Medium |
| Body | Medium |
| Notes | Lemon, Lime, Cherry |
Best White Wines to Pair with Enchiladas
A good white choice is a crispy, citrusy knockout with high acidity that pairs wonderfully well with Mexican food, especially Enchiladas!
Cava
Cava is a sparkling wine from Spain which pairs beautifully with Enchiladas! This is because the strength of the Cava and its bubbles and high acidity cleanses the fats and carbohydrates off the palate, which means it allows you to taste every delicious bite of your Enchilada. Cava has notes of nuts, toast and citrus; where the nutty flavors pair wonderfully with the gooey cheese, while the toasty notes pair well with the tortilla; meanwhile the citrus pairs well with the cilantro and lime notes!
Riesling
Riesling is the absolute go-to pairing with Tex-Mex, this is because the wine pairs with nearly every single ingredient used which is stuffed into a Enchilada. The high acidity of the Riesling pairs super well with the beans, grilled onions, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, cheese and meat! (super heavy ingredients!) But paired with a glass of Riesling the vibrancy of the wine cleanses the palate to make it fresh again, which makes every bite taste just as delicious as the first!
Now if the Enchilada is spicy, select an off-dry Riesling which has a hint of sweetness as it calms down the chili pairing perfectly. Riesling has hints of lemon, lime, apricot and peach flavors which contrasts nicely with the flavors of the Enchilada, but it also contains a nice amount of minerality which pairs well with a grilled veggie Enchilada. Devine!
Viognier
Viognier is a medium-bodied white, which has notes of apricot, honeysuckle, orange rind, pear, pineapple and peach; with a super soft and silky mouthfeel! All of this holds up nicely with the veggies, beans, rice, cheese and meat! Also the medium body and creaminess of wine complements the creamy sauces, sour cream and guacamole you smother on your Enchilada! Yummo!
Best Red Wines to Pair with Enchiladas
A perfect red choice for Enchilada is a wine with high acidity is a glorious pairing, also a red with low tannin levels! Here is the red which pairs wonderfully with enchiladas!
Beaujolais
Beaujolais pairs super well with Enchiladas as the light and fruitiness of this wine with the backing of high acidity keeps your mouth refreshed between bites! Beaujolais is lighter in flavor but holds cherry, raspberry and strawberry flavors which complements nicely to the Enchilada; it also has an earthiness to the wines which pairs nicely with the beans, grilled veggies and rice found in a Enchilada!
Best Wines to Pair with Enchiladas
Enchiladas can be paired with most lighter styled wines, anything which consists of fruitiness! However, they are best paired with medium bodied white wines, as their citrusy flavors can hold up to an Enchilada layer of flavor! Enchiladas are a hefty meal therefore for red wine pairings, you’ll want a lighter red that is high in acidity to cut through and give refreshment against the big flavors of carbohydrates, proteins and fats of the dish!
- Cava
- Riesling
- Viognier
- Beaujolais
