Best Wine for Your Chipotle

There inevitably comes a time in every adult’s life when all they want to do is sit down at home with their Chipotle burrito and pop open a refreshing bottle of… beer? Not everyone’s taste. Tequila? Perhaps too hardcore for a Wednesday night. Wine? Perfect!

But how does one pair a Mexican spice palate with wine? We’re here to help. Wine is notoriously hard to pair with Mexican food given the variety of meats, veggies, spices, and flavors all pairing together, but we’ve got a list of a few suggestions to get you started.

1. For the spice lover 

Spicy food is perhaps the realm of the more adventurous, and can certainly make finding a wine pairing difficult. However, if this is you, don’t worry. I’d suggest a night, light, fruity Riesling to accompany your meal. Not only does the wine lighten up the flavors, but the lower alcohol content will keep you from feeling too tipsy with the spicy food. If you’re not really a white wine fan, a Pinot Noir will do the trick as well.

2. White meat lovers

Now, it may not be a hard and fast rule, but generally speaking, white meats pair well with white wines. If you’re having chicken tacos or perhaps a chicken burrito bowl, shoot for a crisp Pinot Gris or Riesling. Really, any white wine will pair well with white meats, so don’t be afraid to break out the Sauvignon Blanc either.

3. Red meat lovers 

Following the same logic as before, red meats generally pair well with red wines. If you prefer steak or barbacoa meat in your Chipotle, try pairing it with a Malbec or Zinfandel. In this case, the richer the better, but as we warned before, if you have a lot of spice in there, beware of higher alcohol contents! You may feel tipsier sooner than you ordinarily do in that case.

4. Chips and Guac or Veggie Lovers

Typically speaking, lighter fares (such as chips and guac or vegetarian bowls/burritos) call for lighter wines. Here we return to the suggestion of Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, or Pinot Gris. These will definitely help you unwind while also giving you the perfect end to a long and draining day (speaking from experience, of course). However, if white wine isn’t your jam, then just reach out for the lighter, fruitier wines for your pairing.

Where there’s a will to drink wine, there is almost certainly a way, so never fear that your Mexican food won’t taste good with wine. With these wine suggestions handy, your Chipotle meal will definitely become some next-level stuff.