Shrimp Ceviche Tacos and Sauvignon Blanc Pairing

These tacos take shrimp ceviche from appetizer to full-blown dinner! No need to turn on the oven...or even the stove. Pair them with a crisp Chilean Sauvignon Blanc to complete the meal.

Welcome to the dog days of summer, winos! Today is the first day of August and I have been feeling the heat...because this is the first season I've spent without air conditioning in a long time.  Our house has a swamp cooler that instantly makes the house freezing cold, which isn't exactly my cup of tea. So its been a battle deciding which is better--wearing close to nothing and still feeling too hot, or having to put on a sweater in the middle of summer because that damn swamp cooler is blasting in my face...

Needless to say, I've been blaming the heat as an excuse not to do any cooking in the kitchen. But we still gotta eat, right? Enter: a cold glass of Sauvignon Blanc and shrimp ceviche tacos. Dinner. DONE.

Have you ever made ceviche before? There are many different variations, but my favorite is made with fresh shrimp.  You do not cook the shrimp--simply soak it in fresh lime juice for about 15 minutes which will "cook" it. If you are too afraid to eat raw shrimp, then go ahead and throw them on the stove for a few minutes (and risk heating up your house!). But remember that millions of people have eaten ceviche with raw fish for many, many years. And you gotta live a little dangerously every once in a while, right? Just use fresh, good-quality shrimp and take that risk!

The Pairing

If you have ever taken a wine class with me before, you may remember that one of my favorite summer wines is Sauvignon Blanc. In particular, I love Chilean Sauvignon Blanc. Not that I have anything against other countries that produce this little wine, I just think I found the sweet spot with examples from Chile.

Sauvignon Blanc is a light-bodied, crisp and refreshing dry white wine that features aromas and flavors of tropical and citrus fruits. Most usually have a "green" character to them too, with notes of bell pepper or jalapeno (one of the easiest indicators when you're guessing what kind of wine you have in front of you).

Sauvignon Blanc from cool climates, like New Zealand, have ripping acidity and "unripe" fruit flavors. Ones from warmer climates, like the USA, will be heavier-bodied and "riper". I like to think of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc as right in the middle: they have crisp acidity and a great balance between ripe and unripe fruit flavors. They also have a great price tag. Chilean wines are a great value to the American customer since you can easily find a bottle under $15.

So for my shrimp ceviche taco dinner, I chose the Gran Reserva Series Riberas Sauvignon Blanc from Concha y Toro to serve alongside it. This wine had everything I wanted in a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc: crisp acidity that stood up to the high acidity in the ceviche, refreshing lime and grapefruit notes that went alongside the flavors in the tacos, and a clean finish. This wine in particular comes from the Colchagua Valley (within Rapel Valley) which is known for its cool climate and perfect for the Sauvignon Blanc grape. Concha y Toro is not a hard wine to find in wine shops, but if you don't have access to it, any Chilean Sauvignon Blanc will go great with this meal.

The Recipe

I really tried to be creative with this one, guys, but at the end of the day, you gotta keep things classic and simple! I love ceviche so much that I wanted to make it into a main course for dinner. Usually we serve ceviche as a salsa with corn chips, so instead I served them street-taco style in corn tortillas. Top with a little avocado and cilantro, and you've got yourself a meal! Simply use any ceviche recipe you'd like (many have different kinds of fish in them instead of shrimp), but here is the one I used. Happy Pairing!

Shrimp Ceviche Tacos and Sauvignon Blanc Pairing

Author: Dani (CaretoPair.com)

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: 4

Recipe adapted from foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

• 1 pound high quality peeled and deveined raw shrimp
• 1 Cup lime juice, divided (from about 2 limes)
• 1 medium cucumber
• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 1/2 Cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 Cup chopped red onion
• 1 jalapeno
• Small corn or wheat tortillas
• chopped avocado, cilantro and lime wedges, for serving

Instructions

1. Place the shrimp in a large, nonmetalic mixing bowl. Add 1/2 Cup of lime juice and let sit for at least 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, chop the cucumber and tomatoes and add to another bowl along with the cilantro and red onion. Seed the jalapeno and mince it well, add to the same bowl. Mix in the remaining 1/2 Cup of lime juice with the vegetables.
3. When the shrimp have finished "cooking", add them along with any remaining juices into the bowl with the other vegetables. Mix well to incorporate.
4. Set tortillas onto plates (double up if they are a little flimsy) and top with the ceviche mixture. Top with chopped avocado, cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice, if desired. Serve immediately.

Thirsty for More? Try these other summer recipes and wine pairings:

Broiled Swordfish with Lemon Butter Sauce

Spicy, Creamy Chipotle Shrimp Paired with Albarino

Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Paired with Gewurztraminer