Taco Thursdays
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Wine Pairing 101: Spice
It takes everything inside of us to not scream at the wine world to embrace traditional Riesling once again. For me, it's adult Gatorade: citrusy, ripe but not sugary, and just endlessly refreshing. And it's great after a workout.
Regardless, when it comes to spice, you want to avoid tannin at all cost - things like Cabernet, Nebbiolo, anything like that can really just irritate the spice. Grapes like Gamay, Pinot, even Grenache - which doesn't naturally possess a ton of acidity like the others - are molto bueno with a decent spice like you'll see in most tacos. Rose will get you bonus points, as well, but especially with tacos that aren't made with dark meats, Riesling is king!!
We obviously love Champagne with anything; when spice comes into play, I'd say give us a call - certain producers like Georges Laval label things as "Brut Nature", which would lead you to thinking they're harshly dry, but it's actually that there's enough body and natural ripeness that the finished wine doesn't need any added sugar. Also, some of our favorite producers will bottle at lower pressure, with tiny, smooth bubbles as opposed to large, abrasive ones .
So, as a TLDR: yes residual sugar, no tannin. Yes to bubbles, no to harsh bubbles. Yes to rose and light reds, no to heavy alcohol and acid-deficient wines.
