A craving for simple fare is just human nature. Street food, tamales, barbecue, burgers—these are all part of a genre that can be burdened by elevated ingredients, but are at their best when held true to the basics.
Of course, simple does not imply ease in the kitchen or any shortcoming when it comes to flavor. Take cheese enchiladas, for example. Timid on its own, Monterey Jack is the perfect stage for colorful, spicy sauces.
Yet the marriage can be an inconvenient one should you, say, plan to lunch on inexpensive enchiladas and a very fine wine.
“Red sauce or green?” asks Ashlee Jansen, manager at The Wine House in Carmel Valley, addressing the primary hurdle.
Dos Victorias on Cannery Row in Monterey (already said we were going the inexpensive route) dishes out cheese enchiladas with a red sauce with an earthy huff from which emerges chile embers that linger on the palate. It’s a rudimentary yet composed sauce with a nip of tartness.
Because of the acidity, Jansen rules out a bracing wine for either sauce. But there are options, especially for the red.
“You want something buttery—something a little rich—if you go with a white wine to balance the spiciness,” she explains. “For a red you want to complement the spice.”
Jansen recommends a Syrah if red, a Chardonnay should you prefer white. Specifically, she calls for one of Talbott Vineyards’ barrel aged wines.
Naturally that brings up another matter. No, not the likelihood of getting tossed from a tasting room for inquiring about enchiladas, but “Which one?” That was the first question asked—without snickering—by folks at the Talbott tasting room in Carmel.
Yeah, they have several. And all are better suited to a white tablecloth, not a hasty take out lunch in front of the television. After all, David Coventry, the lead winemaker for Talbott Vineyards, brings the eloquence of terroir into each bottle. The folks at Dos Victorias slap enchiladas, rice and beans into a container.
Tasting room staff suggested Talbott’s 2017 Sarah Case Chardonnay. It entices you with aromas of pineapple and hanging fruit, with notions of vanilla, sweet bread baking in the oven and a whisper of honeysuckle.
The enchilada? Dry chile—that’s pretty much it, bouquet-wise. But why are you sniffing around the plate?
On the palate the wine carries baskets of pineapple and cured apricot, underscored by a richness like stewed fruit that lends body to the sip. As the Tropical burst descends, a more mellow, warming impression reaches out—a dessert bread, drizzled with vanilla. On the finish, however, it is leaner and bright.
This would be great on its own. Paired with a cheese enchilada, an impression of buttered brioche builds and the fruit takes on a deeper, compote tone. A sweet yet earthy notion fills in, creating a poised sip. At the same time, it takes on the streak of heat in the sauce, muting it for a moment before lifting it again with greater intensity.
Yes, there’s a whopping imbalance in price point between the two. And yeah, it’s probably a bit nutty to bring a wine so fine to the table when take out enchiladas are on the menu. But there’s no escaping the conclusion that Talbott’s pretty Chardonnay truly complements this humble dish.