Vegan Wine Pairings: Blistered Shishito Peppers and Sauvignon Blanc

Healthy, sophisticated, and oh-so-easy to prepare: shishito peppers are one recipe you’ll want in a vegan diet. This versatile veggie easily goes from appetizer, to side dish, to tapas spread in minutes. It can also be paired with wine; in particular we like shishito peppers with a clean, crisp Sauvignon Blanc.

Sauvignon Blanc makes the perfect partner for shishito peppers because it naturally has pyrazines. Pyrazines are the same aromatic compounds present in bell peppers, and give Sauvignon Blanc its grassy undertones. The light, citrusy profile of Sauvignon Blanc is also particularly refreshing when you hit the occasional fiery shishito pepper hidden amongst the mild ones.

However, finding a vegan Sauvignon Blanc can be challenging. Before you settle for a non-vegan wine, we recommend checking out the selection on NakedWines.com. All wines on NakedWines.com are produced by small producers, and have a unique. At the time of the writing of this article, there are actually eight vegan Sauvignon Blancs available on NakedWines.com. These span Chile, Argentina, California, and New Zealand — truly an impressive breadth.

In particular, we enjoyed the clean, vibrant Marchesi North Coast Sauvignon Blanc with the shishito peppers. Its supple, fruit-forward profile offered bright aromatics of stone fruit, grapefruit, pineapple, and herbs, morphing into key lime and lemongrass on the palate. With its refreshing citrus and hint of bitter arugula on the finish, Marchesi Sauvignon Blanc made the perfect partner to fresh, snappy shishito peppers.

As for the recipe, it’s incredibly easy. In under ten minutes, your tastebuds can be at a tapas bar in Spain. Plus, there’s something incredibly satisfying about hearing the pop of shishito peppers as they blister on the skillet.


Easy Shishito Peppers

  • 1 lb shishito peppers
  • Sea salt, to taste
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions
Heat olive oil in a pan on a stove set to medium heat. Add shishito peppers and let them blister 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid over-charring the peppers.


Ready to get started with vegan wine pairings? Get $100 off a NakedWines.com purchase of $160+ through our affiliate link here. When you shop, simply check the “vegan” box under Dietary Needs to view over 50 vegan wines.