When Glen Bell pivoted from promoting strictly hamburgers and sizzling canine, and added tacos to his San Bernardino restaurant’s menu in 1951, he maybe unknowingly revolutionized Mexican quick meals service in America. The addition was initially supposed to function a draw for purchasers who would have in any other case visited the OG McDonald’s down the road, but it surely remodeled right into a fast-food chain of its personal in 1962: Taco Bell.
For 53 years, the fast-food restaurant supplied a choice of quick-serve Mexican meals — assume commonplace fare like tacos, burritos, and quesadillas, but in addition Mexican pizzas, Doritos Locos Tacos, and the ever-popular Crunchwrap Supreme. And in 2015, the chain revolutionized fast-food service as soon as extra with the introduction of its now-popular Cantina idea.
First established in Chicago as a method of attracting extra city prospects — i.e., company who don’t have a automobile to undergo a drive-thru — Cantinas are particular for one particular cause: They serve alcohol.
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At this time, there are over 60 Taco Bell Cantina areas throughout the US, although maybe none are as well-known because the Pacifica outpost in California. The restaurant, which has been dubbed “the world’s most lovely Taco Bell,” is perched straight on the Pacific shoreline, permitting company the chance to snack on a Crunchwrap Supreme and sip a spiked Baja Blast Freeze whereas soaking within the sea breeze.
In April 2025, the scenic Pacific Taco Bell Cantina reopened after closing its doorways on Jan. 5 for an intensive rework, and the brand new and improved institution presents some critical new additions. There’s refreshed indoor and out of doors seating and decor, a brand-new bar, three new flavors of the chain’s Freeze slushies, and — apparently — branded Taco Bell wine by the bottle.
Final month, a Reddit person posted within the r/tacobell subreddit to point out off a peculiar buy they managed to safe: a bottle of wine wrapped in a Taco Bell label. The chain has famously performed round with wine releases up to now — in 2020, Taco Bell launched a Canadian-exclusive limited-edition crimson named “Jalapeño Noir” made with Ontario-grown Pinot Noir grapes. However this label seems fully completely different. Reasonably than that includes the black and gold foil of Jalapeño Noir, this wine is adorned with a blue, inexperienced, and orange label studying “Taco Bell” in shaded lettering. Entrance and middle is the chain’s signature bell imagery.
Connected to the picture was the declare that the unique poster had bought the bottle from the Pacifica Cantina. Naturally, different Redditors went wild with curiosity, asking questions starting from “is that this an April Idiot’s joke?” to “is it Baja Blast flavored?”
Seems, the wine is just not an April Idiot’s joke — and no, it’s not Baja Blast flavored. As an alternative, the wine, which the redditor says is dubbed 2016 Cantina White California, is a Sauvignon Blanc produced by Napa Valley’s Grieve Household Vineyard.
Bottled at 14.2 p.c ABV, the wine reportedly value between $30 and $40, and was allegedly sitting on the bar counter after they visited the oceanside Cantina. Once they requested to buy it, the worker merely responded “crimson or white?” earlier than handing them the bottle to do as they happy.
The mysterious commenter solely bought a bottle of white, although. What’s the cope with Taco Bell’s crimson?
Fortunately, one other Redditor traversed to the Taco Bell Pacifica Cantina to provide it a strive, they usually shared their findings with fellow customers on the r/wine subreddit. Known as Cantina Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2020-vintage crimson wine is bottled at 14.6 p.c ABV, and was additionally produced by Grieve Household Vineyard. In line with the person, the Napa Cab is medium- to high-bodied and delivers balanced acidity, easy tannins, and notes of blackberry. Similar to the white, the Cabernet Sauvignon is labeled with particular Taco Bell branding.
It’s not clear if different Taco Bell Cantinas presently provide the wines by the bottle or if the Pacifica location is the one one given its shut proximity to Napa Valley. However till all Cantinas provide wine by the bottle on the market, it’s simply all of the extra cause to go to the world’s most lovely Taco Bell.
