How to Make Red Wine Salt

Salt and wine make everything better. You can argue with me if you want, but I’ll hold fast in that opinion, and I wouldn’t be surprised if most people agree. What I hadn’t thought of until a few weeks ago was that you could combine these two things into a single jar of seasoning.

Luckily, Kait Welch (@modhippiehabits) is two steps ahead of me and shared a video on Instagram earlier this year showing how to make homemade red wine salt. The clip has since racked up an impressive four million views, with viewers commenting things like “Omg, for lamb chops” to “Whoa, got to try this just for that gorgeous color,” as they realize the potential of Welch’s seasoning.

Although making your own salt might seem daunting, Welch’s straightforward instructions in the video show that you can easily make red wine salt at home. And if you’re still curious about its taste or how to use this rich, flavorful salt, don’t worry, we’re here to help.

What does red wine salt taste like?

The point of creating red wine salt is to highlight the complexity, umami, and deep flavors of the alcoholic beverage. Welch tells Food & Wine that “Wine salts retain the base notes of the wine you use to make them, so notes are slightly different with each batch! However, in general, red wine salt is a wonderfully balanced combination of savory and salty with sweet notes from grapes.”

Red wine salt is a dry mixture, and the process of dehydrating the wine concentrates its flavor. So, if you want more acidity, make your salt with a more acidic wine. If you’d like to add subtle red fruit notes like cherry and raspberry, choose a bottle that has those. As a general rule of thumb, it’s best to opt for fuller-bodied wines that offer a stronger flavor, and avoid wines that are on the sweeter side. But if it’s a wine you enjoy drinking with food, giving it a try won’t hurt.

When it comes to using this seasoning blend, Welch notes that “I use red wine salt in many ways — it is beautiful as a rub before searing a steak, great in pork dishes, and my personal favorite as a bit of finishing salt on a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream!”

It also pairs well with other foods you might naturally enjoy with red wine, such as earthy mushroom varieties or lamb chops. As Welch mentions in her Instagram caption, she also likes to use it to rim cocktails, which sounds like an incredible idea for summer entertaining. Or if you want to stick to something more classic, you can use it on steaks all summer long.

How do you make red wine salt?

You only need two ingredients to make red wine salt, and they’re both pretty obvious: red wine and salt. You can optionally add chopped herbs like rosemary or sage and other seasonings such as black pepper if you want. Per Welch, you should combine equal parts wine and salt in a bowl and mix well. Let the booze-infused salt sit for at least an hour or, ideally, overnight, then drain the excess wine using a fine mesh strainer.

Next, add any herbs and seasonings you’d like, then you’re ready to dehydrate the mixture. You can use a dehydrator set to 125°F, but if you don’t have one, Welch says, “you can also dehydrate using the lowest temperature setting on your oven (usually about 170°F) until it is dried through. Or, if the relative humidity is low where you live, you can air dry in a well-ventilated area as well!” Just make sure no moisture remains before packing the salt in an airtight container.

Where can you buy red wine salt?

If you’re not interested in making your own version of this seasoning blend — or, as many commenters on Welch’s video point out, never have leftover wine — you can also buy red wine salt. Oregon-based Jacobsen Salt Co. offers its own version, a beautifully flaky Pinot Noir Salt. This blend is made with an Oregon Pinot Noir (specifically one from Landmass Wines), and the Jacobsen Salt Co. team notes that it has “rich aromatics and sweet, red fruit flavor.”

Because this seasoning is made with flaky sea salt, it is meant to be used as a finishing salt. The Jacobsen Salt Co. team recommends “adding it to braised meats or red sauce, or sprinkling it on everything from steak to a charcuterie plate (butter!) and even berries with ice cream.”

Most other red wine salts available for purchase, like this one from Salty Provisions, are also flaky salts meant for finishing. So, if you want a fine-grain version that you’re comfortable sprinkling into a skillet of sizzling butter and shiitake mushrooms as you stir, you might need to make your own.

And if red wine salt doesn’t appeal to you, Welch has confirmed you can make white wine salt instead, which sounds ideal for a roast chicken.