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QUENTÃO DE VINHO – A BRAZILIAN MULLED WINE RECIPE

In Brazil, mulled wine is known as Quentão, which translates to “big heat.” It is traditionally drunk during the Festas Juninas, Catholic celebrations of rural life that take place throughout the month of June.

FESTAS DE JUNINAS IN BRAZIL

The Festas are a Christian adaptation of European Midsommer. Participants give thanks to Saint John for the summer rains and dress as stereotypical caipiras, or “country bumpkins.” Boys don large straw hats and painted freckles and girls wear pigtails and checkered dresses.

There are many traditional games and dances, such as the quadrilha, which is similar to American square dance. The music of the forró players is central. It is an unmistakable sound, with an accordion at the center and the rhythm kept by a triangle and a bass drum called a zabumba. The lively beat is juxtaposed with vocals that express longing and nostalgia.

Corn dishes are abundant at the Festas: sweet popcorn, corn coconut pudding (munguza doce), and fúba cakes made from cornmeal. And the traditional drink is the quentão, a warm mulled wine sweetened with cane sugar and flavored with earthy spices.

In America, we tend to drink our spiced wine when the weather turns cold. The quentão is a perfect addition to the warming drinks we look forward to as Winter approaches. It is lighter than many of the European versions, which are often spiked with brandy or cognac. This makes it an ideal pairing with a savory end course, like a cheese board with aged parmesan and smoky prosciutto.

The quentão is very simple to make. A few quality ingredients are all that is needed to make this spiced beverage. If you wish, you can boil the wine so that it is virtually alcohol-free. Otherwise, be sure to keep the heat on a simmer so you retain the alcohol content.