Are you planning a feast for the next Taco Tuesday? Having tacos for dinner leaves you with a diverse menu because of how versatile tacos are. You can go with something flavorful like beef or pork, or you can go with something light and gentle on your taste buds like fish or other seafood. You can also go vegetarian and tacos will still taste as great as with meat options.

If you want your feast to be a unique one, add a glass of wine with your tacos. Wine with tacos is one of the most unexpected delights you’ll thank yourself later for doing. However, because of how diverse tacos are, finding the right wine to pair with them may be a problem.

Read our guide below to find out what goes well with tacos for dinner. Learn about wine and food pairing now:

1. Carne Asada

Originating from the northern regions of Mexico, carne asada is a beef-focused taco. The cuts are often from the flank of a cow sliced as thin as they could get. They also tend to marinate it in a mixture of spices like cumin, citrus, and garlic.

Both Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon are a great wine to pair with carne asada. Both of them have an excellent dry taste, which complements the beef’s marinated flavor. It drying out your mouth after each sip also does wonders to refresh your palate for the next bite.

The acidity of both Cabernet isn’t as high as most wines, too. This makes them not too overwhelming in combination with the spices in the carne asada. These traits together with its full-bodied texture make for a memorable dining experience.

If you don’t favor red meats as much, you can opt for the lighter alternative, Pollo Asado. This replaces the beef with chicken and marinates it in similar spices. Because the meat isn’t as overwhelming, rich white wines are its best partners.

Sauvignon Blanc is among the best Mexican liquors for this because of the refreshing taste it gives, going well with the fresh salsa often accompanying Pollo Asado.

2. Tacos Chorizo

Mexican chorizo is different from Spanish chorizo in that it isn’t smoked and cured. Instead, they’re served fresh with a ton of spices mixed into the meat. Some of these spices like chili, paprika, and garlic are what gives it its flavor while spices like cinnamon and Syzygium aromaticum are what give it its distinctive smell.

All these spices call for a wine that can complement all of them. Sparkling wines do a great job complementing them as their light taste allows the taste of the chorizo to shine. In that regard, when it comes to sparkling wines, Crémant may be the best kind of sparkling wine to take with it.

Sparkling crémant has a fruity taste that’s perfect for meats with lots of spice. Depending on the season, the wine can also taste like different kinds of fruits. The most common crémant though has a distinct lemony citrus flavor.

This makes it perfect for chorizo because the zesty flavor from lemon enhances its spicy taste. Also, crémant has a specific aroma smelling of red grapes. This also complements the chorizo’s aroma and uplifts the experience of eating the taco.

3. Tacos Al Pastor

Al Pastor is a traditional Mexican and Lebanese fusion pork taco. This is because the Lebanese shared their cooking technique of spit-roasting meat way back in the early 1900s. Mexicans then adapted this method and used it on the most common meat in their area, pork.

They spit-roast the pork after spending some time dipped in a marinade mixed with chilis and spices. The end result is pork soft on the inside but crispy on the outside. Pineapples are also a popular topping for this taco.

Pineapple gives it a hint of sweetness, but the meat’s spice is still more prominent. This is why light red wines like Lambrusco makes a perfect pairing for Al Pastor tacos.

Most Lambrusco variants tend to have a sweet taste. This helps balance out the spice the Al Pastor brings. They also have a fair amount of acidity, complementing where the Al Pastor tends to lack.

Al Pastor also pairs well with the other variety of Lambrusco wines. The dry variety tends to have a much more fragrant aroma. This mixes well with how Al Pastor tacos smell and taste, giving you a better dish.

4. Pescado

Pescado translates to fish tacos which have gained a lot of popularity in the United States. It’s even made its way to the menus of popular taco chains like Taco Bell and El Taco Boom. The traditional way of making them involves white fish like Tilapia, deep-fried until golden brown.

It’s then served with fresh greens along with a light, cream-based sauce. Depending on whether you add lemon or not, this makes fish tacos a light and gentle dish. As such, the best wines are the ones that don’t have an overpowering taste.

Sweet white wines bring that to the table. Pinot Grigio is the best one to take with seafood.

Its citrus-y flavor does well without the lime squeezed unto the taco. If you did though, it only accentuates its flavor.

The dry wine is also great with fish tacos because it doesn’t leave an aftertaste. This means you can continue eating your taco without having to pause for a palate cleanser.

5. Quelites

If you prefer vegetables over meat, then Quelites are the taco for you. Traditional Quelites contain sautéed leafy greens served on a soft corn tortilla. You can also serve it with stewed greens together with extra grilled vegetables.

This makes for a delicious and refreshing taco. This is why medium reds are a great pair for them. Merlot is a great choice here as it’s easy to find and cheaper than most wines.

It’s also somewhat high-acidity like a medium red wine. This makes it perfect for Quelites as vegetables are a good balance to acidic foods.

Prepare Yourself a Feast by Pairing Wine with Tacos for Dinner Tonight

What goes with tacos? The perfect wine with tacos does! Grab the right wine for your taco and give yourself a dining experience to remember!

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