Pairing: Creamy Enchiladas (Enchiladas Suizas) with Chicken, Tomatoes and Green Chile paired with 2014 Clifford Bay Sauvignon Blanc

Food: Our “go-to” source for Mexican cuisine is Rick Bayless. This recipe for enchiladas is from his cookbook, Mexico, One Plate at a Time. It calls for using shredded leftover roast chicken, but I’m sure any cooked chicken would work just fine. As  Bayless points out, these Enchiladas Suizas “… pay homage to a distant land where cream rules” (i.e., Switzerland). It’s a fairly involved sauce recipe which I won’t try to duplicate here. Suffice is to say, the recipe for the sauce makes a lot and freezes beautifully. The picture below shows leftover sauce from about 6 months ago made into fresh enchiladas. Once you have the sauce, the enchiladas are a snap. Here is a link to Bayless’s recipe for Enchiladas Suizas. It is well worth the effort. Positively delicious!

Wine:  Yes, I know … why wouldn’t you pair this meal with a nice Mexican beer?  It’d be perfect. But this blog is about finding a good pairing of wine with most any meal. And, believe me, the cool, crisp, fresh taste of this Clifford Bay Sauvignon Blanc will surprise you with how well it goes with the creamy, spicy enchiladas. This wine comes from the Marlborough region of New Zealand which is the northern most part of the South Island. It is the largest wine-growing region in the country, and though they make other wines there (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, etc), Sauvignon Blanc is king. It is often described as one of the best places in the world for growing this grape.  And the price … $10. Terrific!

Tasting:  Pale yellow in color. A delightful, clean, fresh smell on the nose, with clear notes of lemon and grapefruit. A crisp, clean lemon flavor continues on the palate and really works as a terrific complement to the spicy, rich flavors of the enchiladas. On the finish, one gets some grapefruit entering the profile. Very, very nice!

Other Wines That Pair Well with This Food: Gruner Veltliner, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Beaujolais.

Other Food That Pairs Well with This Wine:  Jambalaya, Fajitas, Fish Tacos, Taco Chips and Salsa.

Read About:  http://www.cliffordbay.co.nz

A Source:  www.wine.com