Why Frozen Jalapeños Are Suddenly Ending Up in Sauvignon Blanc

Even though people enjoy alcoholic beverages year-round, the warmer months seem ripe for a drink trend to take over cocktail culture. There was the Negroni Sbagliato that dominated social media in the summer of 2022, thanks to actor Emma D’Arcy. Or the Hugo Spritz that began appearing on bar menus everywhere in 2024. 

But in 2025, it seems that instead of opting for a mixed drink, consumers are focusing on one specific way they want to enjoy their wine. According to all the wine lovers on TikTok and Instagram, the refreshing beverage you should be sipping right now is a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc… with frozen jalapeños in it.

This isn’t the first time users have proclaimed that slices of frozen peppers belong in wine—putting jalapeños in rosé saw surges in popularity during the summers of 2022 and 2024—but pairing the chiles with Sauvignon Blanc appears to have made the technique even more popular. Some fans claim there’s a scientific reason that jalapeños can enhance wines made from this grape varietal.

What is the jalapeño Sauvignon Blanc trend?

This trend only calls for two ingredients: a green jalapeño and a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. While Sauvignon Blanc is actually the name of a grape variety, in this context, consumers are referring to the white wine named after the grape from which it’s produced. It’s often described as refreshing, crisp, and citrusy.

Social media users prepare this drink by slicing a jalapeño (leaving the seeds in), freezing the rounds, adding several of them to a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, and enjoying the wine immediately.

Many content creators are posting straightforward clips that recommend combining frozen peppers with crisp white wine, offering reviews like “it is divine” without explaining why. Others give a few more details, describing it as “refreshing, light, with a little bit of spice.” However, some wine experts have gone into greater detail, explaining that there is a scientific reason why people might put the two ingredients together, and it’s all thanks to organic compounds called pyrazines.

Do jalapeños actually make Sauvignon Blanc taste better?

Pyrazines are flavor and aroma compounds found in green peppers like bell peppers and jalapeños. Wines made from grapes in the Bordeaux family, like Sauvignon Blanc, also have higher levels of pyrazines. Food & Wine’s executive wine editor Ray Isle explains that “Pyrazines in wine are what give certain varieties that distinctive green pepper aroma that can shade over towards jalapeño.”

This is why people may describe Sauvignon Blanc as smelling like bell peppers, jalapeños, or simply “green.” However, this raises the question: Does pairing the aromas in Sauvignon Blanc with those of jalapeños, which would presumably enhance that green pepper scent, actually improve the taste of the wine?

To start, Isle explains that he would “be very surprised if any of the pyrazines in green peppers or jalapeños would leach out into the wine in the course of two minutes after you put it in. It seems very unlikely. The aromatic aspects… well, if you cut a pepper, you can smell it.” While the peppers probably won’t affect the flavor of your wine, you will notice more of that slightly spicy, vegetal aroma. 

As Isle points out, “Does it make it better? No. Does it make it different? Sure. Maybe you’ll like it better… Put it this way. It’s like if you put frozen cherries in a wine that has a little sense of cherries to it. Will the wine be better? No. But what the hell, maybe you’re someone who likes having frozen cherries in your wine.”

Many wine connoisseurs may not want to alter the aroma of the wine they are tasting. However, if you enjoy smelling something else while you sip your wine, then you may enjoy this trick. And if you like it, that’s what truly matters.

Some people reviewing the trend say that chiles impart their heat, which could attract anyone who loves spicy food. However, the compound that makes jalapeños hot, capsaicin, is not very soluble in water, so simply placing sliced peppers in a glass doesn’t guarantee much spice. For instance, to create a spicy margarita, you need to either infuse the tequila with jalapeños over time or muddle the pepper while making the drink.

How can you try the trend at home?

Even though the pyrazines in peppers probably won’t significantly affect your wine’s flavor, there’s no harm in trying the trend yourself. And as Isle notes, if you enjoy it, that’s what matters most. 

However, our executive wine editor emphasizes that not every Sauvignon Blanc should be used for this. Per Isle, “There are really complex and beautiful and ageable wines and there are wines that are just simply meant for drinking, everyday drinking. I wouldn’t put jalapeños in any complex, beautiful high-end Sauvignon from a great producer or something like that. Not a chance. But if you’ve got a five buck Sauvignon from Trader Joe’s, sure, give it a shot.”

He also notes that Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand may be better suited to this trend, explaining that “Sauvignon Blanc is the grape that tends to have the most of that kind of green pepper jalapeño character. And particularly in the past, New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs have been the ones that express it the most…. So there is an affinity there, but personally I don’t suggest putting chopped-up raw vegetables in your wine.”

If you test this trend, make sure to slice the peppers before freezing to avoid chopping slippery, icy chiles. Anyone who doesn’t enjoy spice could try using green bell peppers instead of jalapeños.

It’s unlikely you’ll find sommeliers recommending this technique at wine bars anytime soon (or ever). However, if you’re enjoying some crushable, affordable white wine outdoors and jalapeños sound appealing to you, it won’t hurt to give it a try.