Taco Tuesdays

Since one of us if from California, and one of us is a man, we both love tacos. So naturally, we’ve instated Taco Tuesday as a weekly evening to celebrate the delicious heritage Latin America brought to our country. And while there are a million amazing variations on the tasty taco, we went with one of our favorites: homemade refried black beans, rice, jack cheese, faux grilled chicken, and fresh salsa for her. Along with a healthy dose of Cholula hot sauce (we’re enamored with the wooden bottle top).

It hit us that with the frequency with which we enjoy these tacos, we should try to find a champagne that could pair well with such fare. So we wandered the booze aisle of the grocery store – we have that in California – while shopping for taco ingredients, searching for inspiration on the appropriate bubbly beverage for the evening. We decided there might be something off about pairing French champagne with Mexican street food, and that California wine makers might better understand the flavors from south of the border.

Given the above considerations, as well as the egalitarian nature of a food available to all classes via the taco cart, we settled on a fairly inexpensive bottle of Mumm Napa Brut Prestige ($15). This sparkling wine had a sharp, tingly, slightly apple flavor upon first sip. As we continued to drink, what stood out the most was the extreme carbonation of the wine. This is not a sparkling wine for those embarrassed by a loud, unavoidable belch or two. Overall, the wine was very simple, with no real aftertaste. Easy to drink, but with no lasting impression besides bubbles, lots of bubbles. Not an excellent wine, but one that went down easy and didn’t compete with our enjoyment of our tacos. We may not have found the perfect taco wine (try asking for that the next time you’re at a fancy restaurant), but for fifteen bucks, we didn’t regret our purchase.

Score: She gives it a 3, while he gives it a 2.5

Recommended: Yes, for those who want a cheap sparkling wine that won’t offend the senses – as long as you’re ready for some mid-sipping burps.