Padrón Peppers in Wine Country are “Hot”

When we say Padrón peppers are hot in wine country we do not mean hot spicy, we mean very popular. Simply take a gander at any of the Napa Valley restaurant gardens and you’ll see them growing abundantly. Check the menu at any Napa Valley restaurant and you are likely to find them on the appetizer menu. Nine out of ten of the Padrón peppers are mildly spicy, but one of them for some unknown reason is hot spicy. Padrón peppers have been very popular for many years in Spain and there they are called Pimientos de Padrón. Just about every Tapas restaurant in Spain serves this delicacy. It is just about mandatory that in Spain you drink a glass of Albariño wine with your Pimientos de Padrón. In the Napa Valley, a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, dry Riesling, or a stainless steel Chardonnay will pair nicely. The Padrón peppers are sauteed quickly in hot olive oil and then sprinkled with kosher or sea salt. They can also be grilled on the barbecue, placed on a vegetable grill pan. Padrón peppers can be grown in most warm climates. We have some growing in our garden on the San Mateo Peninsula. Mid July is when the Padróns become prolific on a plant. One must harvest them when they are small, just under three inches. Otherwise, they get too hot to enjoy eating. The plant will continue to provide peppers through October. One can also find Padróns at most Farmer’s Markets from now through September. Delicious, to say the least!

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Padron peppers harvested at the Charles Krug winery

About Padron Peppers

Padron peppers or Pimientos de Padrón are very much the rage in California wine country. Padron peppers have been one of the staples of the Spanish Tapas scene for many ages. Now Padron Peppers are popping up on many wine country restaurant menus and folks are growing them in their vegetable gardens. These Padron peppers were growing in large pots at the Charles Krug winery. We met Patty outside Charles Krug’s Carriage House as she was picking the Padron peppers. Patty, the special events coordinator at Charles Krug, grows the peppers and offers them to various catering companies that are used for events at the historic carriage house. Patty believes the Padron peppers grow best in containers. The Padron peppers were about three to four feet high, with an abundant amount of peppers ready to pick and devour.

The most popular way to prepare these peppers is to fry them quickly in a pan that is hot and contains a small amount of olive oil. When the Padrons blister and soften, they are removed from the pan and tossed with course salt.

How to grill Padron peppers

Patty suggested that we put them on the grill. “First, coat them with a small amount of olive oil and then toss them on the grill. When they blister and wilt a bit, take them off the grill and add the coarse salt. Serve them with a glass of white wine; Charles Krug Sauvignon Blanc or Charles Krug Chardonnay are nice choices.” Patty gave us a very generous supply of the peppers. Later that evening I grilled the peppers just as Patty had suggested. Scrumptious! Now for you folks out there that think these peppers are too spicy or hot, the Padron Peppers are mild. Once in a while for some strange reason, one pepper in the lot will be hot. You can purchase Padron peppers at farmers market but they are pricey, about $8 a pound. Better yet, if you live in the warm climate areas of the wine country, you can grow them in your garden. I checked at the nursery in St. Helena and they have them in stock.