Tinto de Verano: Sweet, Bubbly and Alcohol-free!

What  is Tinto de Verano? Translated from  the Spanish, it means Summer Red Wine. And though Tinto de Verano is available all year round in Spain, it is during summer that most restaurants offer this ice cold summery drink.

So what goes into Tinto de Verano? Red wine, grape juice and sweet soda water. There are both alcoholic and non-alcoholic variants.

The alcoholic variant has, obviously, a slightly stronger wine flavor. But I don't really like alcohol so I stay away from it. The non-alcoholic variant is made primarily with grape extracts and grape juice. The one I drink uses sweeteners instead of sugar which makes it both alcohol-free and sugar-free, practically guilt-free!

See the bubbles in my Tinto de Verano?

So how does one enjoy her Tinto de Verano? First you have to make sure it is really, really cold! Stick in the ref! Add ice cubes! This isn't for those stiff, wine and boring conversation affairs. This is the drink one shares with friends and family over laughter and a delicious spread of barbeques and grilled fish. Oh, alright, it's just how I plan to drink this with the fambam when I finally go home in December.  And yep, I'm lugging a few liters of these summer wines for Christmas. Because that's the best possible way to share this delicious cold and breezy wine drink, surrounded by the warmth of  my beloved family. :-)