Tex-Mex Spicy Goodness
Let’s start with a confession. You can never have enough enchiladas. And rightly so, since enchiladas are an incredibly comforting Tex-Mex dish, perfect for the cold winter days or even for the long, sun-drenched summer days with a chilled glass of wine.
For the most part, people love enchiladas because of the course’s bold flavors and chili-driven sensations that cause an endorphin rush. Also, this dish is pretty easy to make, especially chicken enchiladas. You need some jalapeños (i.e., chili), cooked chicken breasts (or leftover roast chicken shredded), chopped tomatoes, beans, a bit of cream, and corn tortillas. Oh, and don’t forget some coriander and parsley for toppings.
How to Cook Enchiladas
Begin by heating olive oil in your saucepan. After that, add onion and fry it before adding garlic and jalapeños. When the onion is translucent, add your tomatoes, little water and keep cooking for 15 minutes until your sauce is thick. At the same time, heat your oven, wrap your tortillas in foil, and warm them for approximately 10 minutes.
Once done, assemble the enchiladas. Add 1 portion of shredded chicken in the middle of each tortilla and top up with grated cheese (choose whatever cheese you like), jalapeños, and coriander. Finish it off with a tsp of beans, your tomato sauce, and extra cheese. Roll the edges and place the tortillas in the oven for 20 minutes until the cheese melts. You can serve your freshly-cooked enchiladas with sour cream or yogurt.
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(4.5 / 5) What Wines Pair Well With Enchiladas?
We wine pros suggest pairing your enchiladas with bone-dry refreshing or slightly creamy white wines, such as Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, and our favorite peachy-lemony Grüner Veltliner. Additionally, feel free to accompany this dish with red wine, too. Ideally, you want to go for bold Argentinian Malbec from Mendoza or a Californian cocoa-drive Merlot from Sonoma. Similarly, uncorking an Australian Shiraz or a Chilean Zinfandel are also great wine choices.
In every case, however, anyone can opt for any wine or grape variety. You can choose to drink whatever you fancy with your food. That said, as mentioned above, some wines, subjectively, seem to be a better enchiladas wine match. For this reason, therefore, we decided to taste as many wines as possible to come up with a definitive (but not conclusive) wine list for the best enchiladas wine pairing. So, read on to find five irresistibly delicious bottlings, highly friendly to Mexican food, enchiladas included.
Best White Wines With Enchiladas
Champalou Vouvray
- Winery — Champalou
- Country/Region — France, Loire Valley, Middle Loire, Touraine, Vouvray
- Type — Loire Chenin Blanc
- Aroma — Apple, Pear, Nectarine, Honeysuckle, Cinnamon Spice, Chalk, Pepper, Flint
- Grapes — Chenin Blanc
- Taste — Pineapple, Mango, Peach, Apricot, Stones, Vanilla Spice, Chamomile
- Alcohol Content — 12.5%
- Sugar — Dry
- Pairing — Enchiladas, Chicken Marsala, Smoked Salmon, Seafood, Sushi, Orzo, Asparagus Mousse
Tasting Notes
The Champalou family winery is renowned for producing high-quality Loire Chenin Blanc Vouvray in diverse styles. On top of this, the wines are aged in stainless steel while still managing to be concentrated and complicated. This specific Chenin Blanc begins with elegant aromas of green fruits, like apples and pears, and continues with bright nuances of honeysuckle, nectarine, and cinnamon spice.
These fragrances combine with touches of chalk, pepper, and flint, creating a super complex nose. In the mouth, this one is medium-to-full-bodied with a perfect balance between mineral elements, stone fruits, and exotic spices. At the same time, flavors of dried spring flowers, peaches, apricots, and pineapples are discernible, too. The finish is long, packed with hints of chamomile and vanilla spice.
World-Class Wines Produced by Following the Lunar Calendar
Founded in 1983, the Champalou Domaine has over 20 hectares of vineyards, embracing the concepts of sustainable farming and biodynamic viticulture by following the lunar calendar. Using this form of viticulture is considered unique, as rarely does a winery cultivate grapes according to cycles of the Moon. What’s more, these winemakers aerate the soil so the grapevines can absorb as many nutrients as possible, with the resulting fruit being concentrated and juicy. This is how Champalou produces world-class wines.
Gramona Gessamí
- Winery — Gramona
- Country/Region — Spain, Catalunya, Penedès
- Type — Spanish White Blend
- Aroma — Honeysuckle, Acacia, Apple, Pear, Almond, Hazelnut, Wet Stone
- Grapes — Sauvignon Blanc, Moscat de Frontignan, Gewürztraminer
- Taste — Straw, Grass, Pepper, Grapefruit, Lime, Banana, Peach, Cream, Honey
- Alcohol Content — 11.5%
- Sugar — Dry
- Pairing — Enchiladas, Halibut, Crab, Smoked Salmon, Turkey, Roast Chicken, Goat Cheese
Tasting Notes
A Spanish Sauvignon Blanc filled with pleasant and graceful effervescence. Green fruit and citrus aromas define the bouquet, together with touches of honeysuckle and nuts. The mouth is creamy, maxed with flavors of tropical fruits and weak oak influences. In a way, Gramona Gessamí reminds me of a Cava or a Fumé Blanc. Very refreshing, the aromatic nose opens with apple, pear, and grapefruit sensations.
Honeysuckle and acacia follow close by, while dashes of almond, hazelnut, and wet stones combine to conclude the bouquet. As the wine flows into the mouth, flavors of guava, passion fruit, and lychee emerge. These are accompanied by straw, grass, and white pepper overtones. A hint of cream and a dash of banana join the brisk acidity, finishing in a moderate and sweet aftertaste.
Spanish Wine-Making Tradition and Dedication
Bodegas Gramona is, for the most part, a Cava house in Catalonia, northeastern Spain. Founded in the 19th century in Penèdes (e.g., Cava main’s wine production region), the winery produces a large portfolio of still and sparkling wines. The major varieties they use are Xarel-lo, Parellada, and Macabeo. However, the traditional Champagne varieties, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, are also extensively cultivated.
Additionally, Bodegas Gramona focused on producing Sauvignon Blanc wines, like Gramona Gessamí. Gramona has a state-of-the-art gravity winery that enables the free movement of juicy grapes and wine to aid the preservation of phenolics. The winery has a solid name for producing wines with long aging potential.
Tatomer Meeresboden Grüner Veltliner
- Winery — Tatomer
- Country/Region — United States, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
- Type — Californian Grüner Veltliner
- Aroma — Jasmine, Orange Blossom, Acacia, Lime, Nectarine, Apple, Thyme, Parsley
- Grapes — Grüner Veltliner
- Taste — Grapefruit, Meyer Lemon, Peach, Apricot, Oily, Almond, Ginger, Garlic
- Alcohol Content — 13.5%
- Sugar — Dry
- Pairing — Enchiladas, Red Snapper, Mussels, Pappardelle Lobster, Asian, Indian
Tasting Notes
Vibrant aromas of orange and lime blossom, jasmine, and citrus, alongside an attractive array of green herbs, develop as wine fans take a whiff. The palate is rounded and textured, with grapefruit and Meyer lemon flavors and lifting peachy elements. Hands-down, this is the best white wine with enchiladas! As soon as the bottle opens, fragrances of crystallized jasmine, orange blossom, and acacia surface to meet scents of lime and nectarine.
At the same time, there are plentiful notes of thyme, parsley, and patchouli, as well as a sensation of ocean soil. In the mouth, the wine has a great texture. Flavors of grapefruit, Meyer lemon, peach, and apricot dominate, while some oiliness is present, too, adding depth. The acidity is moderate and offers freshness, while the finish is long and maybe a bit garlicky.
Rising to Prominence
Founded in 2008, Tatomer began with two Riesling vineyards and the intention of making high-quality bone-dry Riesling in Santa Barbara County. From the initial 400 cases, Tatomer reached 1,100 after acquiring two Grüner Veltliner vineyards.
Best Red Wines With Enchiladas
Decoy Sonoma County Merlot
- Winery — Decoy
- Country/Region — United States, California, Sonoma County
- Type — Californian Merlot
- Aroma — Cherry, Raspberry, Blackberry, Licorice, Smoke, Vanilla Spice
- Grapes — Merlot
- Taste — Plum, Red Currant, Orange, Chocolate, Coffee, Cheese, Prune, Black Pepper, Charred Oak, Cinnamon Spice
- Alcohol Content — 13.5%
- Sugar — Dry
- Pairing — Enchiladas, Meatloaf, Rabbit Casserole, Macaroni, And Cheese, Cheeseburgers
Tasting Notes
Decoy Merlot is approachable and oaked, packed with aromas of cherry, raspberry, tobacco, and spices. In the mouth, you can experience plush flavors of dark and red fruit, alongside notes of coffee, chocolate, and charred wood. Drinking window: 2021-2025. As the bottle uncorks, a vibrancy of raspberry, cherry, plum, and fig aromas emerge and excite. Nuances of smoke, tobacco, vanilla spice, and underbrush follow, accompanying the aromatic bouquet.
Inside the mouth, Decoy Merlot is delicious as explosive flavors of redcurrant, brambles, strawberry, and mint hit the mid-palate. A core of coffee, chocolate, and pepper offer complexity as a note of cinnamon spice contributes extra structure. The tannins are dusty and fine-grained, joining the moderate acidity. The finish is lengthy and oak-driven in complete sync with the palate.
A Premier Napa Valley Wine Producer
Decoy is a premier producer of Sonoma County wines and belongs to Duckhorn Vineyards, a Napa Valley luxury wine brand. Over the years, it has evolved from being a single wine that supported the Duckhorn Vineyards brand to a renowned winery.
Decoy has a loyal following for its unique style, creating wines capable of expressing their full charm and complexity in their youth, without bottle maturation. In addition to Decoy Red, the Decoy wine lineup includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.
Pulenta Estate Malbec (I)
- Winery — Pulenta Estate
- Country/Region — Argentina, Mendoza
- Type — Argentinian Malbec
- Aroma — Violet, Lilac, Cherry, Redcurrant, Raspberry, Licorice, Smoke
- Grapes — Malbec
- Taste — Blackberry, Plum, Bramble, Barnyard, Wet Soil, Cinnamon Spice, Strawberry
- Alcohol Content — 14.5%
- Sugar — Dry
- Pairing — Enchiladas, Rib-eye Steak, Shepherd’s Pie, Bison, Venison, Pesto, Asiago, Colby
Tasting Notes
With a bright and intense violet color, Pulenta Estate Malbec is expressive with a nose of red fruit, baking spice, and oaky notes. It is rounded on the palate with velvety tannins and flavors of dark fruit and minerals. The wine has good structure, even if sometimes, the tastes are off-balance. To sum up, possibly this could be the best red wine with enchiladas.
Gentle fragrances of violets and lilacs on the nose express elegance only to be followed by whiffs of cherry, raspberry, licorice, and smoke. The full-bodied palate is weighty, loaded with flavors of blackberry, plum, brambles, and barnyard. On top of this, wine enthusiasts should expect to taste pepper, wet soil, cinnamon spice, and strawberry. The acidity is refreshing and offsets the pronounced oakiness, while the tannins are silky and soft. The finish is lingering, gracing the back-palate with notes of cocoa.
A Prominent Argentine Winemaker
Considered one of the most prominent and respected families in the Argentine viticulture scene for over three generations, the Pulenta family are, above everything, passionate winemakers. Pulenta Estate was established in 2002 by Eduardo and Hugo Pulenta, descendants of Italian immigrants. The vineyards are estate-owned and famed for giving limited yields with extreme flavor concentration.
The winery has a vast wine portfolio, including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon in many styles. In fact, they even have a late harvest red blend, showcasing how passionate Eduardo and Hugo Pulenta are with wine-making.
Conclusion
And this is it, folks! We reached the end of our wine list. At this point, you should be able to choose a suitable wine to complement your enchiladas confidently. In reality, you do not need to look elsewhere. Just pick any of the above bottlings, and you are guaranteed to include enchiladas in your regular dinner rotation!
