Would you squeeze a lime on it? That’s all we need to know. A sip of zippy Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc has the same effect, only better. Plus, it’s a sleeker beverage than a beer or super-sugary margarita (alcohol free or not) if it’s made like our Sauvignon Blanc: cold-fermented in stainless, with zero sugar and a lower abv than many other Sauvignon Blancs.

The high acidity and herbal and tropical notes in our SANNA Sauvignon Blanc pair nicely with cilantro, lime, Mexican oregano, tomatillos, fresh tomato salsa, seafood, and more. Juicy acidity also cuts like a knife through rich and bland foods like cheese, tortillas, and beans, refreshing the palate.

My only caveat? If you’re going for the extreme end of the Scoville Scale, you’re probably better sticking with cold beer or something sweet to put the fire out. Super spicy peppers will obfuscate the delicate floral and fresh fruit flavors in wine.

Like all of our food and wine pairing blogs, this one is work in progress. From time to time we’ll add to it when we cook or taste something that really hits. So, here are some of our top pairings…

CHICKEN SOPAS

I think sopas are special, and I don’t often see them on a menu, so I make them myself. It’s surprisingly easy to make these little rafts for flavor - sweet and smoky, more substantial than tortillas, both crisp and pillowy soft. You start with masa harina, which is nixtamalized corn flour, meaning the corn has been soaked with lime, a process that makes nutrients like vitamin B3 and calcium more bioavailable, makes the corn more easy to digest, and reduces phytic acid, which impedes absorption of minerals. Adding a little hot water to the flour creates a surprisingly fluffy dough. Roll it into little balls and press them flat, dry cook them in a cast iron skillet, form a little ridge by pinching the edge, and fry in healthy ancestral fat until the exterior is crisp.

The thing about sopas is the symphony of complementing and contrasting flavors and textures. A base of bland yet smoky sweet and salty refried beans, topped with pulled chicken in a tomato and onion sauce, then thrillingly sour toppings like crema, crumbled queso fresco, and (my homemade, canned) escabeche (pickled jalapenos, carrots, and onions with oregano). Fresh crunchy shredded iceberg on top, maybe some cilantro. This was tonight’s dinner. So, how did the SANNA Sauv fare? Brilliantly. When I first sipped it on its own, it tasted a bit like peach tea, fleshy. When paired with the food, mandarin and other citrus notes came forward. MUCH to my surprise, the wine seemed to vibe with the vinegary escabeche, which wines are not supposed to do. A bite of pickled carrot, a sip of Sauv, and the wine had a brilliant, citrusy trajectory.

FISH TACOS

In our home, fish tacos are always a good idea. Kristof likes to stop by our local fishmonger, Osprey, when he’s in the neighborhood, which is every time he has to drop off a wine sample at the enology lab. He’s forever coming home with a little bag of steamed shrimp, a handful of oysters to barbecue, or a fillet of fish wrapped tight in white butcher paper. My recipe for fish tacos calls for Petrale sole, but to be honest, last time we went to Costco, we bought a hefty pack of wild rockfish, and that made terrific tacos.

The recipe I make most often is adapted from the recipe at Solbar Restaurant at Solage, Auberge Resorts Collection in Calistoga. It was published years ago in one of those free Napa Valley glossy magazines, so I don’t imagine they’ll mind if I tell you how I fix mine. Mix sliced green and red cabbage and white onion with olive oil and salt. Make an aioli by processing mayonnaise and chipotle peppers together. Mix 2 cups of flour and 1 cup of cornmeal in a bowl. You want to marinate your fish in buttermilk and salt for an hour, then toss it in the flour and cornmeal mixture and fry until golden brown in your choice of healthy, ancestral fats (like lard, olive oil, or beef tallow). Serve in corn tortillas with cabbage, aioli, cilantro, and fresh lime wedges.

SANNA Sauvignon Blanc pairs beautifully with all but the fishiest of seafoods (in which case the wine takes on metallic notes - certain kinds of oily, smoked, tinned fish come to mind) and is a perfect partner for the crunch and zing of these tacos. A beautifully made Sauvignon can have minerally, saline flavors, which pair so well with the layered flavors in the taco. The herbal notes in the wine complement the cilantro and cabbage, and the citrus and salt notes can have you thinking for a moment you’re sitting on the beach tasting salt air.

CHILES RELLENO

Chiles Relleno: case in point that the entire history of culinary arts is one attempt to make things that are not meat taste like meat or to stretch meat as far as possible. I am the undisputed Queen of the Relleno; it’s my thing. My specialty. Making it is a labor of love, because it’s time consuming and messy to roast and peel poblanos, carefully stuff them with cheese or shrimp, roll them in flour, then dip them in fluffy egg batter, and carefully lay them in hot oil that spatters and pops all over the stovetop. You end up with drips of batter on the floor, but oh, is it worth it. The cloudlike, meaty pepper, oozing cheese, would be too much if not for the balancing acidity of salsa roja. Sauvignon Blanc plays the same function, balancing the richness with acidity, plus the herbal notes in the wine love poblanos and tomatoes. When in doubt, Sauvignon is the gardener’s wine; anything you can grow in a garden is a natural match for the wine.

SLOW-COOKED PORK POZOLE

On cool fall days, I like to make a pot of slow-cooked pork pozole, a dish with layers of flavor from heritage pork stew meat, cumin, Mexican oregano, chiles, garlic and onions, carrots, tomatoes, corn or hominy, and tomatillos. The warm, bright flavors are further enhanced with crisp, cool toppings: salty cotija cheese, cilantro, radishes, diced avocado, and lime, plus you use corn tortillas, with their natural, earthy sweetness, to scoop of bites. This is a sexy stew, and the dominant flavor note, to me, is tomatillo, an acidic green fruit related to gooseberries that becomes sweet and caramelized when ripe and roasted and made into salsa.

We use the flavor descriptor “gooseberry” to talk about Sauvignon Blanc, even though most of us have never eaten a gooseberry that we can remember. The last time I tasted a gooseberry, it was so tart I might have mistaken it for one of my daughters’ Sour Patch Kids candies with their coating of tartaric and citric acids. You know what, I think I’m going to start using the descriptor “tomatillo” to talk about SANNA Sauvignon Blanc, because there are definite notes of the rich yet zippy fruit in the wine. In terms of pairing, the flavors of the stew and the wine are a match, and the way I gauge harmony is that the flavors of both are enhanced, and the flavor length of the wine expands and is not curtailed.

A stew like this holds the gloom of early dusk at bay and infuses a body with warmth. And when paired with SANNA Sauv, one has the illusion of tasting ocean air because of an illusory saline/mineral/sea salt flavor in the wine that combines with lime to play tricks (good ones) on the mind. Suddenly, I feel like I’m walking at the beach, breathing contentedly, even though in reality I’m wearing a sweater and eating stew with my bedroom slippers on.

RICE AND BEANS

Mexican beans and rice are a beautiful meal to make on a cold night for someone you love. It may seem simple, but properly prepared it’s luxurious because of the time and planning that go into the details. I soak dried bean overnight in warm, filtered water with a splash of brine from homemade lacto-fermented pickles, but you could use whey or lemon juice.

Soaking is a vital step in preparing beans because it makes them more digestible and neutralizes phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors so that they’re nutritious. Crucial step. Don’t eat canned beans. Then I cook my soaked, drained beans in the crockpot on low heat for about six hours with chicken stock, mild paprika chiles from my garden, salt, cumin, bay leaves, Mexican oregano, and fried onion and garlic.

I flavor my rice with stewed tomatoes and cilantro-lime butter. Then I make homemade tortillas by mixing a little hot water with masa harina to make a fluffy, bouncy dough that has a beautiful clean flavor, both naturally sweet and slightly bitter. Beans and rice are a blank canvas. The fun comes when you add your fresh, vibrant condiments: cilantro, radishes, diced red peppers, avocado, salsa, crema, queso fresco, escabeche, and more.

Simple? Easy? Yes and no, when you consider I started preparing the day before and didn’t cut any corners. A glass of Sauvignon Blanc elevates this staple, and acts like a squeeze of fresh lime, cutting through the blandness of the carbs and harmonizing with the fresh toppings.

A NOTE ON REDUCTION IN SAUVIGNON BLANC

We make a point of tasting other Napa and Sonoma Sauvignon Blancs routinely. Last night, I opened a Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc that we’d purchased recently at Costco. The wine had a score of 92 points from Wine Spectator and retailed for $25. It was undrinkable, and we had to pour it out. Sometimes we’ll add a wine we don’t like to our homemade wine vinegar project, but this bottle was destined for the drain.

The problem? The wine was severely reduced. Kristof’s palate is quick to detect traces of reduction, but many wine drinkers, even pros, don’t notice it. When I recognize reduction, it’s as a binding up of the potential aromatics and flavors, as if they’ve been held hostage. Kristof noted the aroma of green and white onion and petroleum where one should have smelled lush fruit. Sometimes, these sulphury odors will blow off as the wine opens up, but in this case the wine just got worse, smelling more and more of stagnant water. It was probably one of the dankest Sauv Blancs I’ve come across in my lifetime.

When Sauvignon Blanc grapes are given a fast, rushed, hot fermentation, they are more liable to develop sulphur compounds that give reduced wine its nose of green onion. That’s why we slowly cold-ferment our grapes, keeping them in a state of fermentation for twice as long as many Sauvignon Blancs. I’ve had wine brokers, who should know better, comment that our SANNA Sauvignon Blanc costs twice as much as the competition. There’s a reason why. You’ll never have to pour the bottle down the drain.

Fixing reduction is a magical thing to watch. I can’t tell you how many of my dinner preparations have been interrupted because Kristof wants to doctor a reduced Sauvignon Blanc. He carefully measures and pipettes a bright blue, dilute copper sulfate solution into the wine; the copper binds with sulphur compounds, and suddenly the wine wakes up, like Sleeping Beauty released from a curse by a kiss. The aromatics change from stinky green onion to tropical fruit and florals; the wine tosses off its mantle of white wedding cake blandness to reveal zesty lime flavors.

Once, Kristof asked the sommelier in a Michelin-starred restaurant if she could get him a handful of pennies. Unbelievably, she did, and he proceeded to pour the wine we’d ordered into two glasses, one the control, the other the remediated wine with copper pennies. I nearly died. My point is that reduction is common in both imported and domestic Sauvignon Blancs, and I think it’s one reason that people don’t love the wine as much as they might.

If you want an aromatic, zesty wine packed with layered fruit flavors to complement your Mexican cuisine, look for a handcrafted, small-lot, cold-fermented Sauvignon Blanc that is 100% dry like our SANNA Sauv. The best way to treat reduction in white wines is to prevent it from occurring in the first place, which goes back to meticulous vineyard and fermentation practices.

CHORIZO VERDE

The New Homemade Kitchen has a great recipe for Chorizo Verde, which I think is wonderful flattened into patties and fried and served with a quick corn salsa and a side of beans and rice. I made my version by grinding together pepitas, black pepper, cumin seeds, and bay leaves, then processing the spice mixture with cooked and drained spinach, garlic, cilantro, oregano, 2 roasted poblano peppers, lime zest and juice, and a splash of Grand Marnier. The aromatic mixture, which is combined with fresh ground pork, makes a terrific homemade sausage. And all of the green, citrusy notes find a perfect partner in SANNA Sauv, with its flavors of juicy green apple, green pear, and lime. Green loves green, in other words.

GUACAMOLE

Don’t put lime in your guac; drink your guac with a glass of limey Sauvignon Blanc, instead. The best guacamole, in the winemaker’s opinion, is the simplest: 2 jalapeno peppers (or whatever you have - we used dried, orange cayenne peppers in the winter version pictured here), a handful of cilantro, a handful of chopped white onion, 2 avocados, and a sprinkle of sea salt.

WET BURRITO WITH SALSA VERDE

Simple rotisserie chicken, rice or beans, and roasted vegetable burritos are sauced with a ranch-style salsa verde that pairs perfectly with Sauvignon Blanc. To make the green sauce, add the following to your blender: 1 cup salsa verde, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1/3 cup sour cream, 1/3 cup mayonnaise, a handful of cilantro, a handful of chives, a clove of garlic or two, sea salt, a squirt of lime, a shake of cumin, and a good squeeze of agave nectar. Blend well and pour over prepared burritos. You can add cheese and run it under the broiler if you like. The sweetness in the sauce, which comes from the tomatillos and agave nectar, makes this homey dish irresistible.

Rotisserie chicken burritos, Cali-Mex style, with roasted yellow and green zucchini, Mexican rice, shredded chicken, and dots of gelatinous chicken drippings.

ELOTE

Here’s a recipe from our summer garden. Sauvignon Blanc pairs perfectly with elote because the zippy acidity in the wine cuts through the richness of the mayo and salty, grated cheese and pairs perfectly with corn, as it does with any summer garden vegetable. Few things are more delicious than Mexican corn on the cob, and when you see a pretty girl in her sundress and heels gingerly snacking on one as she strolls along with her date at the county fair, maybe you’ll scratch your head with wonder like me; I can’t eat this without sauce dripping down my chin, cheese on my fingers, and an urgent need for dental floss. Buy organic corn; support Mexico’s stand against GMO corn.

OYSTER TACOS

Rogelio Garcia’s new cookbook Convivir: Modern Mexican Cuisine in California’s Wine Country is a beautiful example of what happens when two cultures intersect and integrate. He understands how important Mexican culture and cuisine are to winemakers here in Northern California. He writes about his experiences as an undocumented worker in fine dining restaurants who grew to become a celebrated chef, currently executive chef at Auro in Calistoga, Napa Valley.

His recipes capture something unique: “the story of Mexican cuisine in California.” His delicious recipe for fried oyster tacos is a play on the New Orleans oyster po’boy with a Mexican version of remoulade that combines the complex flavors of homemade mayo, chopped cornichons, cilantro, jalapeno, and avocado and a slaw sauced with citrus juice.

Our bright, citrusy, SANNA Sauvignon Blanc paired well with the slaw, the fresh, green herbal flavors in the remoulade, and the crisp, juicy oysters with their mildly briny interior. It’s an example of how our zero sugar, higher-acid Napa Sauvignon Blanc is made to pair with the fantastic, fresh produce that is grown here and the cuisine it inspires.

Top Pairings: Mexican Cuisine & Sauvignon Blanc