Think Mexican food doesn’t pair with wine? Think again 

If you love Mexican food, you probably have a go-to beverage to complement the cuisine’s bold and rich flavors. Tequila, of course, is a classic pairing. Same with mezcal. Beer too. 

But wine? Absolutely! Mexico has been producing wine since the 1520s, when homesick conquistadors planted vineyards across Central and South America with cuttings from Spanish vines. If you haven’t tried pairing a Mexican wine with your favorite taco de pescado or carne asada, you don’t know what you’re missing. 

They’re typically bold, fruit-forward and food-friendly, with enough acidity to complement your meal. Clearly when it comes to Mexican wine and food, if it grows together, it goes together.  

We’ve long been acquainted with Mexican wines from the Valle de Guadalupe region in Baja California. But on a recent trip to Waltham’s Painted Burro, we sampled several wines from the Querétaro region, located just north of Mexico City. With a terroir markedly different from Baja (lush, high altitude vs. rustic, desert) the Querétaro wines at Painted Burro offered their own unique flavor profiles. 

Our two favorite wines were:

● Viña Doña Dolores Chardonnay (non-vintage). A dry chardonnay with a hint of apricot and grapefruit on the nose and lemon peel tartness on the palate. The wine’s acidity paired perfectly with the spicy Gulf shrimp diablo tacos.

● Viña Doña Dolores Cuatro Regiones 2019 Red Blend (cabernet sauvignon, tempranillo, merlot, malbec, syrah and marselan). Dark garnet in the glass with lovely tobacco/black fruit notes on the nose and a perfect harmony of black cherry and baking spices fruits on the palate. This thoughtful red blend was a great match with the cilantro grilled chicken tacos.