We Asked a Wine Bar Owner What They Think of the Jalapeños in Wine Trend
Those in the know will say the spicy beverage is the definitive drink of the summer.
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Whether it’s strawberries in a glass of bubbles, or apple and orange slices in a pitcher of sangria, sipping wine with add-ins is nothing new. Why then, has the trend of adding jalapeños to sauvignon blanc raised so many eyebrows? And more importantly, does it taste good?
Not unlike so many food and drink mashups that spread like wildfire in past years for their appeal, or lack thereof, the jalapeño wine craze took on a life of its own when it was shared on TikTok in 2022. Home cook influencer, Allyssa Marshall, known for her ‘Allyssa in the Kitchen’ social media blog, added sliced jalapeño to a glass of rosé when requested by one of her thousands of followers during a live stream. The curious combination was praised, leading to countless other content creators discussing their position on the amalgam on social media.
In the years since, the trend has sprouted various iterations with people experimenting with white and red varietals, and non-alcoholic wines, based on their preferences. For many, the spicy beverage has become a staple, and an unofficial go-to in the summer months, à la the ever-popular spicy marg.
“It works because it satiates that craving for adventure and savory drinking,” says Tecla Esposito, owner of Heaven & Earth wine bar in Brooklyn. “But it almost only works because it’s a joke.”
Sipping for a laugh or not, wine drinkers of all kinds are giving in to the trend. After all, taste is subjective and the complex flavor profiles of wine, with or without add-ins, are often interpreted differently from person to person.
Like so many who have wondered if adding jalapeño would ruin a perfectly good glass of sauvignon blanc, but tried it anyway, Esposito admits her curiosity was piqued by the concept. “Although it sounded ridiculous to me at first, I do love infusions and wacky pairings, so watching people loving this unexpectedly was enough for me to have to try it at least once.”
Her experimentation led to the discovery that the combination likely appeals to those who prefer very dry, savory flavor profiles. “It’s the biggest leap away from sweet wine, which I do appreciate.”
At first sip, Esposito explains that the taste is not that far out there. “It reminds me of red wines with more vegetal and red pepper notes — not that crazy for my brain to compute!” But unlike a robust red wine that gets better as it breathes, she confesses the drink had a strange progression. “The spicier it got, the weirder it got. It sort of felt like I was drinking a spicy cocktail with melted ice.”
As the summer approaches, the jalapeño sauvignon blanc trend rages on, with loads of wine drinkers on board with it, and plenty more sharing their fondness on social media. Whether it has staying power remains to be seen, but in the meantime, it is not unlikely that other unorthodox wine pairings will make their way on to TikTok, sparking even more conversation.
“Odd pairings are awesome and always welcome to people with adventurous palates, so it is actually more common than one would think,” says Esposito. “Another unexpected add in… fresh herbs maybe? Throw some cilantro or sage in there, I’m on board!”
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