Is it sweet? Is it savory? Pizza Hut just introduced a limited edition tomato wine to its holiday lineup, and we just knew we had to try it. Here are the tasting notes.
Pizza Hut Launched a Tomato Wine, and It’s As Confusing As It Sounds
Published on Nov. 26, 2024
There are all sorts of fruits beyond the grapevine that have been fermented into wine. Cherry wine makes a super sweet dessert drink. Plum wine, which is like a liqueur, pairs well with various Japanese dishes. Apricot wine has light, floral notes that makes it a good aperitif for Mediterranean recipes. And then there’s the new Pizza Hut tomato wine, which kind of sounds like Willy Wonka’s three-course dinner chewing gum.
In theory, tomato wine should sound as natural as fruit wine since a tomato is technically a fruit. But most of us view it as a savory vegetable, especially when baked into pizza recipes or simmered into pasta sauces. So what’s the deal with Pizza Hut’s new wine?
What does Pizza Hut tomato wine taste like?
Unlike a deep merlot or cabernet, the shade of this red wine is more akin to fruit punch. The initial aroma after a swirl of this tomato wine was that of Italian seasoning. Not what you’d normally get in a typical wine tasting.
The first sip evokes savory, earthy notes rather than sweet, fruity ones. Our video producer Linda Cheung said the first sip she took tasted more like cheese than tomatoes. That savory element is probably from the garlic and fresh herbs used to flavor this wine. Basil and oregano linger the longest on the palate, making it feel like the liquid version of a slice of pizza.
Perhaps it’s best this is a limited edition product.
Where can I buy Pizza Hut tomato wine?
Though kitschy at its core, the Pizza Hut tomato wine does come in quite a cute bottle. It has a wax seal over the cork and the label itself has a red and white checkered border like that of the tablecloths at old-school Italian restaurants. Much like ice wine, this tomato wine comes in a 375 ml bottle; that’s about half the size of a classic wine bottle.
Because this is a limited-edition wine made by Irvine’s Just Beyond Paradise Winery, it has already sold out. We’re keeping an eye out for whether they’ll release another batch soon. Previous to being sold out, Tomato Wine by Pizza Hut was listed online for $25 per bottle, and there was a minimum purchase of two bottles.
