May Wine: The Perfect Excuse to Drink Wine in the Name of Tradition

Ah, May. The month of blooming flowers, chirping birds, and, of course, May Wine! What’s that, you ask? Well, my dear friend, May Wine is a delightful concoction made by infusing white wine with sweet woodruff, a fragrant herb that blooms in May. And the best part? It’s the perfect excuse to drink wine in the name of tradition.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Making your own wine sounds like a lot of work, and you’re not exactly a sommelier. Fear not, my friend. May Wine is so simple to make, even a drunkard could do it. All you need is a bottle of white wine, some sweet woodruff, and a bit of sugar or honey. That’s it! No fancy equipment or advanced chemistry skills required. I wanted my kids to try it to, so I went with an alcohol-free sparkling white wine.

First, find some sweet woodruff. It grows wild in many parts of the world, but if you’re having trouble finding it, you can always order it online, that’s what I did. Once you have your sweet woodruff, rinse it off and tie it into a bundle with some twine. If you have dried woodruff, you can use one of those little fabric bags used to make mulled wine or adding herbs and spices to soups.

Next, pour your white wine into a large glass jar or pitcher, or the same pot where you boil your pasta if you’re me. Drop the sweet woodruff bundle into the wine, cover the jar or pitcher, and let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour. The longer you let it sit, the stronger the sweet woodruff flavor will be.

After an hour (or more), remove the sweet woodruff bundle from the wine and stir in some sugar to taste. Some recipes call for additional ingredients, like lemon or orange slices or strawberries. That’s what I went for, but I used frozen because we’re nowhere near strawberry season yet.

And there you have it, my friends. May Wine, the perfect excuse to drink wine in the name of tradition. Serve it chilled, and enjoy it with other springtime treats. Or, if you’re feeling really adventurous, try using it as a mixer in a cocktail. Who knows, maybe you’ll come up with the next big thing in the world of libations.