Jalapeños in rosé. Frozen Thai chilies in Sauvignon Blanc. What may have begun as a TikTok trend has quickly evolved into one of the most curious — and conversation-worthy — shifts in how wine is served and savored. It might feel gimmicky at first but if you dig a little deeper, you’ll find that the rising popularity of chili-laced wines is less about viral novelty and more about chemistry, balance and a shifting cultural relationship with wine.
Chris Horn, director of liquids at Seattle’s Heavy Restaurant Group, has seen this arc before.
“I’m all for garnishing wine in any way that makes sense,” Horn says. “We were garnishing our Fino Sherry with martini olives back in 2011.”
He’s referring to a specific entry on their wine list at the time, a dry Pedro Ximénez from Montilla-Moriles, Spain. Their menu told guests what to expect: If you are a fan of dirty Martinis, here’s something for you to try, a dry Pedro Ximénez from the white Albariza soils of the Toro Albalá estate.
“There is something about the flavor profile of this apéritif, olives and sea salt, that convinced us to serve this wine chilled, in a Martini glass, with a couple of olives,” Horn says.
It makes sense, then, that to Horn, the idea of frozen chili slices in a glass of wine isn’t strange at all. It’s an extension of a playful, experimental approach to service that’s long been simmering just below the surface of more rigid wine traditions.
“I’m looking forward to the next creative way to adorn a glass of wine with an appropriate and fun garnish,” he says. “What appeals to me is that the gesture is both a demystification and a destruction. Wine doesn’t have to be precious or on a pedestal. Wine should be fun.”
That same spirit of curiosity now animates the growing interest in spicy wine.
And the trend has already made its way from DIY experimentation to the can. Underwood, the Oregon-based label from Union Wine Co., recently introduced its White Haute Sangria, a canned collaboration with Marshall’s Haute Sauce. Part of their Artist Series, it blends Oregon Pinot Gris with watermelon juice, yuzu extract, serrano peppers and a twist of lime.
In other words, they canned the concept.
While the chili-in-wine movement may feel disruptive, the science supports its success. Many of the wines that pair naturally with peppers — Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, some rosés — share a chemical common with chilies themselves.
The connection lies in methoxypyrazines, the compounds responsible for green, vegetal aromas in grapes like Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc and Carménère. Jalapeños and other peppers contain similar pyrazines. When a chili slice meets a pyrazine-rich wine, the result is resonant. The green notes already present in the wine are heightened and reframed, often becoming more expressive.
There’s also the role of capsaicin, the chemical that gives chilies their heat. Capsaicin binds to heat receptors in the mouth, but it doesn’t actually raise temperature. It is lipophilic, more soluble in fat and alcohol than in water, which is why wine extracts it gently. The effect in a chilled glass is subtle, more warmth than fire, more texture than burn.
Freezing the chili slices before adding them to wine helps manage both temperature and release. Cold slices chill the wine while slowly infusing it with aromatic compounds. Freezing also preserves the chili’s more delicate volatile molecules, which contribute fresh, herbal aromas to the wine.
Still, not every wine benefits from a hit of heat. Balance matters, and residual sugar plays a starring role.
“The bottles that 100% can handle heat are wines with residual sugar,” Horn explains. “Thai chilies with Riesling, please.”
This makes sense both on the palate and in the lab. Residual sugar coats the tongue and rounds out the sharpness of capsaicin, softening the perception of spice and enhancing fruit notes. It’s the same principle behind classic pairings of Riesling or Gewürztraminer with spicy food.
So, how can you try this at home, without compromising your bottle?
Start with wines that feature pronounced acidity, expressive aromatics and a touch of sweetness. Off-dry Rieslings from Washington state are an ideal place to begin, offering bright citrus, stone fruit and floral notes that soften the chili’s heat. Oregon’s cooler-climate Gewürztraminer can also shine here. Look at Columbia Gorge or Willamette Valley rosés with ripe red fruit or subtle sweetness, styles that can easily hold their own against a frozen serrano or jalapeño slice.
Slice your peppers — jalapeños or Thai chilies work well — remove the seeds if you’re spice-sensitive, then freeze the chiles. Drop one or two slices into a chilled glass and give it a moment. The transformation is gradual. The first sip will offer familiarity. The second might surprise you.
What this trend reveals, more than anything, is a larger cultural shift in how we approach wine. It’s based in science, but it’s also an invitation to rethink how we experience wine.
Or, as Horn frames it with characteristic clarity: “Putting chilies in Sauvignon Blanc is low-key food and wine pairing.”
And maybe that’s the point. Not every pairing needs a plate. Sometimes, the best ones happen in the glass.
