When the weather heats up, don’t we all wish we were on a fish taco crawl in Ensenada, Mexico? Take a corn tortilla fresh off the griddle, fold in perfectly fried fish that’s been pulled from the sea only hours before. Top with shredded cabbage and pico de gallo, add a jolt of salsa and some crema.
You’ve probably been washing down tacos with cold cerveza. But that sublime fish taco is wonderful with a chilled white wine. What’s needed is something crisp, with vibrant fruit and a snap of acidity. We picked three examples that shine not only with fish tacos but also with fish and chips or any fried or grilled fish. The heat wave isn’t going to end any time soon. Stock up.
2014 Txomin Etxaniz Txakolina Getariako Txakolina (Spain)
The vineyards of this Spanish Basque estate sit on a bluff overlooking the Cantabrian sea, very near the fishing village of Getaria — and two of Spain’s best fish restaurants: Elkano and Kaia Kaipe, just west of San Sebastian. Small wonder this beautiful mineral-driven white with zesty acidity and bright fruit goes so well with fish. Pour it like the Basques do, from a foot or so above the glass, to bring out the ever-so-slight fizzy quality that makes this wine so refreshing. It’s great with fish tacos but also with salted anchovies.
2014 Storm Sauvignon Blanc (Santa Ynez Valley, Calif.)
A cool, crisp Sauvignon Blanc with a hint of grapefruit, mint and melon, ideal for washing down fish tacos, fish and chips or a salt-baked rock cod. Winemaker Ernst Storm knows just what he’s doing when it comes to Sauvignon Blanc grown on the Central Coast. This wine was sourced from four vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley.
2013 Bodega Vidas Siete Vidas Albarin Blanco (Asturias, Spain)
Made from the rare Albarin Blanco grape, the 2013 Siete Vidas Albarin Blanco from Asturias in northern Spain grabs you first with its gentle herbal perfume. The taste is clean and pure, finishing with a touch of lime. The vineyards in this historic landscape are so steep vintners Beatriz Perez and Pepe Flores can work them only by hand. Imagine drinking a bottle not only with tacos but with sushi or grilled fish too.
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