There are all sorts of cuisines that a use hot spices and peppers to bring out the flavors in foods, but what type of wine do you pair with them?

For instance the Spicy Shrimp Dip below has one element that is common in many Mexican Dishes… Jalapeño.  Take it one step further and you have many peppers like Jalapeño that all have something in common too… they need a drink that compliments the them, yet cools the palate of the connoisseur enjoying them.

Sparkling Wine is great with salty and spicy foods.  Some have just the right about of efforvecence and sweetness that makes them extra-refreshing when the your mouth is on fire, and also helps cleanse the palate.  This is why beer is ofter a favorite with spicy food.

If Sparkling wine is not your thing, consider a Rose.  Since the Spicy Shrimp Dip is made with cheese, a Dry Rose would go well because it has the acidity of white wine and the fruitiness of a red.

One of my favorite combinations in the world is the Spicy/Salty and Sweet combo.  Thus, a couple of my favorite wines to pair with these types of foods are Dry Riesling‘s and Gewürztraminer‘s.  If you lean toward sweeter style wines then this is the way to go.  The slight sweetness helps off set the heat of the spicy dishes like the Spicy Shrimp Dip.

You also have the option of going for a more traditional more acidic wines like Sauvignon Blanc and Grenache Blanc.  Both go really well with fish dishes whether they are buttery, spicy or in this case both.

Avoid wines that are high in alcohol or tannins, which only serve to fan the flames. Fruity whites and reds, with modest alcohol, like Pinot Noir or Chianti make thirst-quenching and delicious partners for heat filled dished.

Spicy Shrimp Dip Recipe

Best results when used with a Blendtec blender

Ingredients:

½ C fat-free greek yogurt
4 oz Neufchatel cheese
2 chunks onion, approximately ¼ cup
1 jalapano pepper, cored, quartered and seeded*
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp ground black pepper
½ lb shrimp, peeled, deveined and steamed

Directions:

Add all ingredients except shrimp to Four Side Jar, slightly push ingredients down and secure lid. Press “Pulse” 4–6 times in order to chop jalapeño and onion.  Remove lid and stir. Add shrimp to jar and secure lid. Press “Pulse” 3–5 times until desired consistency is reached.

*To kick up the heat of this dip, reserve some of the seeds and veins from the jalapeños to add before blending.

For tomato cups, slice off 1⁄2” from top of each vine-ripened tomato. With small spoon, gently scoop out and discard pulp to create hollow shell. Turn tomatoes upside down on large plate lined with paper towel to drain tomatoes while preparing the dip. Once drained, fill tomato cups with dip.

Nutrition Info:

Servings 7
Serving Size . cup
Calories 80
Fat 4 g
Saturated Fat 2 g
Cholesterol 45 mg
Sodium 160 mg
Carbohydrates 2 g
Fiber 0 g
Sugar 1 g
Protein 7 g