The Best Wine Pairing For Your Cheese Quesadillas

Mexican cuisine is known for its spicy, zesty, savory dishes, from salsas and guacamole to birria, tacos, and enchiladas. While most of us would normally pair a spicy Mexican meal with a margarita, paloma, or michelada to refresh our taste buds, wine is an unlikely pairing. However, there's an argument to be made for pairing wine with cheese quesadillas. We've consulted Andrew Limberg, a sommelier and operations manager at James Beard finalist Vietnamese restaurant Moon Rabbit, for his expert advice on the perfect wine to sip alongside this Mexican treat.

Mexico may be the land of tequila and mezcal, but Limberg notes that wineries throughout the country are producing delicious products. "The Baja region of Mexico is making some really great wines," he says. "And a sauvignon blanc from there would be a slam dunk." Sauvignon blancs are known for their high acidity and crisp finish along with zesty tasting notes and aromas of citrus, tropical fruits, and even bell peppers. With a medium body and tangy tastes similar to those found in a tropical cocktail, it's no wonder why Limberg would suggest a sauvignon blanc to pair with quesadillas.

If you don't have a bottle of sauvignon blanc handy, or if you aren't a fan of the varietal, there are other complementary wine pairings you can make. Andrew Limberg considers not just the quesadilla itself, but also the accompanying garnishes like salsa, hot sauce, pico de gallo, and sour cream when making his choice. "Alternatively a skin contact white would be really good depending on how much sour cream you like on your quesadilla (I love a lot)," he says. "The light tannins you would get from a Friuli pinot grigio with some skin maceration could really work nicely there."

A Friuli pinot grigio is a type of wine known as a skin contact white or orange wine, which refers to the maceration of white wine grapes with their peels. Normally a practice used for red wine, allowing wine grapes to ferment with the peels and juice enhances the tannins. In the case of white wine like Friuli pinot grigio, it turns the wine a golden hue, instills fruity notes like pineapple and banana, and provides a nice dry finish to go along with your quesadillas.