Some wines to drink with your go-to quesadilla

We don’t give a second thought to pairing wine with cheese; they could have been an extra line in the “Love and Marriage” song popularized by Frank Sinatra. But some science underlies the romance. Wine’s natural fruit acidity is a good foil to the high salt content of cheese. (We forget that there’s usually a lot of salt in nearly all cheese.) And if the wine is red, the grape and wood tannins help scour away cheese’s fat and milk proteins. If the wine has bubbles, that’s even nicer, though no sparkler is recommended here.

The food: Cheese and Chicken Quesadillas

Slice a clove of garlic in half; rub it across one side of 8 small flour tortillas. Sprinkle grated Mexican or cheddar cheese over 4 of the tortillas. Top with 1 cup shredded cooked chicken. Place the remaining tortillas on top of the filling; press down lightly. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add filled tortillas; cook, turning once, in batches if necessary, until tortillas turn light brown and cheese melts, about 2 minutes per side. Slice in wedges. Serve with guacamole. Makes: 4 servings

— Recipe by Bill Daley

The wines

• 2013 Laroche Viognier de la Chevaliere, Vin de Pays d'Oc, Languedoc, France: Grapes from cooler altitudes give this peach-scented white some backbone and tang; an excellent value. $12

• 2013 Tom Gore Chardonnay, California: No nonsense chardonnay, with just a whisper of wood but really nice, fresh, cleansing acidity. $15

• 2012 The Gainey Vineyard Merlot, Santa Ynez Valley, California: Five percent cabernet franc serves to brighten a bit the dark fruit in this well-wooded, chocolate-scented red. $16-$18

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About the Author

Bill St. John