Is mulled wine just for Christmas?
The short answer is no.
Drinking mulled wine anytime of the year is more than okay. It can create an excellent atmosphere if done tastefully. I have served it myself on Easter Day to guests at my place and all enjoyed the spiced wine. Okay it was a little cold outside still, but that is besides the point. I live in Canada.
In Brazil, they drink Quentão, a type of mulled wine especially during summer festivals.
In Brazil, we have some festivities on July, and in this period it's common to drink warm and hot wine, pure, or with some fruits and spices. It's called "quentão" and is usually made with cubes of apple and cinnamon. Res
Some recipes use cachaça (sugar cane brandy) in lieu of wine and is served very hot.
"Quentão " is a traditional "Festas Juninas" (winter party) grog cocktail, especially in the South Region, the coldest area of Brazil. Its irresistible scents combine sweet and spicy notes and it is traditionally served hot in small earthenware, ceramic or thick glass cups, which retain heat well.
It is a very popular cocktail recipe in the rural areas, and probably made its first appearance in the hinterland of São Paulo and Minas Gerais states. In absence of formal information, one would assume that this recipe is a variation of European mulled wine and grog recipes, made with "cachaça", the Brazilian national sugar cane spirits. In the 18th and 19th Centuries the consumption of "cachaça" has become synonymous of "Brazilianness" against Portuguese domination. After the "Modern Art Week " of 1922 it becomes a symbol of Brazilian cultural autonomy.
The word "quentão" is derived from "quente" which means hot, plus the augmentative suffix -"ão" (literally very hot). At the beginning of the 20th Century it came to designate the "drink made by boiling sugar cane spirits with sugar, ginger and cinnamon. - Quentão
Further reading can be found below:
‘Quentão’: Spicy Brazilian Mulled Wine
Quentão
One last note!
Bonfire is taking Southern Alberta by storm, and it is warming hearts and melting colds. It is a traditional European winter wine but also warms you up on cool summer nights. Bonfire is pre-mulled, so the only thing you need to do is warm the wine in either a pot or microwave. It is crafted from black currants, saskatoons, cinnamon and cloves. The berry notes make it a great base for a perfectly balanced mulled wine and provide a much smoother finish than the traditional mulled wine made with grape wine due to the absence of tannins. Drinking it will make you feel like Christmas, no matter which time of the year. It will warm you to the bone after a day of skiing, hockey, tobogganing, ice fishing, or around the bonfire on cool summer nights. The perfect wine for Alberta winter and summer camping enjoyments.
Bonfire pairs great with Alberta weather winter weather and summer nights.
