2018 Cline Sonoma County Pinot Noir and Chicken Tinga Tacos

This Pinot Noir makes an ideal companion to my Chicken Tinga taco recipe. Chicken Tinga is a Mexican dish from Puebla, made from shredded chicken cooked in a smoky tomato sauce. Because of the rich spices used in this dish like cumin, tomatoes and chipotle peppers, you want to make sure you choose a wine that is medium bodied, dry, oaked with high acidity to balance out the flavors.

About the Wine

The 2018 Cline Sonoma County Pinot Noir is an outstanding wine. On the nose, you get aroma of strawberry, cherry, cola, licorice and a little earthiness. Tasting this medium bodied wine reveals juicy black cherry, strawberry and raspberry fruit with nice spice accents, plus dark chocolate and toasty oak. With smooth, soft tannins and nice depth of flavor this is a bit more substantial than your average Pinot. Considering that the Cline Family were early pioneers of planting Pinot Noir in Sonoma County, it’s no surprise that they continue to bring out the best in this variety. The 2018 Cline Pinot Noir was rated 93 points by the tasting panel.

Check out my Chicken Tinga Taco Recipe below.

Ingredients for Tacos

• 16 Corn Tortillas
• 1 Cup of Onion Sliced in Thin Wedges
• 1 Cup of Chopped Cilantro
• 2 lbs of Chicken Breast
• 1 Head of Garlic
• 1 Onion
• 2 Tablespoons of Salt

Ingredients for Chicken Tinga Sauce

• 4 Roasted Tomatoes
• 10 Ounces of Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce
• 2 Cloves of Fresh Garlic
• 1 Cup of Chicken Stock
• 1 Teaspoon of Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Cumin
• 1 White Onion Slices in thin wedges

Directions

1. Place your chicken, a whole onion, a head of garlic and two tablespoons of salt in a large stockpot and cover with water. Bring to a boil for about 30 to 35 minutes.
2. Grab a medium size skillet, roast your tomatoes for about 10 minutes or until you start to see a slight charred.
3. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside for a few minutes for it to cool down. Once your chicken has cooled down, proceed to shredding it.
4. Add the adobo chipotle peppers, roasted tomatoes, 2 cloves of garlic, the cumin and your chicken stock into the blender. Blend for 2 to 4 for minutes.
5. Cut your onion in this sliced wedges.
6. Heat a large skillet with large edges for 2 minutes. Add your sauce and raw onions and cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Add your chicken and mix together until fully combined. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
7. Warm up your tortillas and proceed to assemble your tacos. Place the chicken on the tortilla, garnish with fresh onion, cilantro.

Provecho!