Tequila Meets Wine

Wine barrel-rested tequilas bring the best of both worlds

October 8, 2026 –––––– Julia Higgins, , , ,

The majority of aged or finished tequilas are matured in bourbon or new oak barrels, as these are the most widely available. The flavors they produce—vanilla and toasted coconut, among others—certainly go well with most tequila taste profiles. But some producers have set their sights on other barrels, including wine, echoing a popular practice in the whisky world.

Among the first wine cask-matured tequilas available in the U.S. was Código Rosa blanco, a Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon-aged tequila introduced in 2016. In eschewing new oak and bourbon barrels for its aged tequilas (its reposado, añejo, and extra añejo are also aged in red wine casks), Código co-founder Federico Vaughan says he became committed to unlocking another level of complexity that couldn’t be achieved otherwise. “When we started Código, we quickly realized that most producers were using whiskey barrels simply because they were readily available, not because they were the best choice for tequila,” he reasons. “Aging [should bring out] a depth of aroma and flavor that you simply cannot achieve with an old whiskey barrel, especially when the goal isn’t to mask the agave, but to complement it.”

Código experimented with several grape varietals and oak origins before landing on Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon barrels made of French oak. Codigo’s Rosa spends 1 month in cabernet casks, and its pale pink hue resembles that of Provençal rosé. Vaughan says the tequila’s flavors are just as delicate as its color. “There are beautiful layers of dark fruit—ripe cherry and raspberry—subtle floral notes, and a gentle earthiness that adds wonderful depth,” he says. “And what makes Rosa so distinctive is that those wine characteristics don’t overwhelm the agave—they elevate it.”

In the years following the introduction of Código Rosa, rosa tequilas have become much more a fixture—the soft pink color has proven as alluring in tequila as it has long been in wine. Others who’ve thrown their hat into the rosa ring include Cazcanes, which has a Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon-aged reposado; Calirosa, with an extra añejo aged in California red wine barrels for 5 years; and Komos Reposado Rosa, aged in French oak red wine barrels for 2 months. Don Julio also has a rosa, finished for 2 months in ruby port.

Like Vaughan, Escasa Tequila master distiller Grace Gonzalez has found that wine barrels work well with tequila’s agave characteristics, not stripping or outshining them. With Escasa, introduced last fall, she melded her love of albariño wine with tequila, finishing the brand’s reposado in Spanish oak albariño casks for 4 to 6 months. While the tequila is lighter in color—those white wine barrels don’t have much color to transfer—the flavor profile shows up strong. Gonzalez describes the reposado as “herbal and high in minerality, balanced by citrus and acidity,” and calls it “the perfect marriage between wine and tequila.”

Aside from the complementary flavors imbued by wine barrels, Vaughan also praises the barrels’ integrity. “Because wine has a low ABV compared to spirits like whisky or fortified wines, the grain of the barrel remains strong after aging,” he explains. “Whisky barrels, on the other hand, have already given so much of themselves to the spirit, the oak is essentially exhausted.” Código hasn’t yet experimented with other wine barrels, but Vaughan isn’t ruling it out, as long as the barrel’s influence complements the agave, it’ll be considered.