Ingredients
The wine
- 1.5 litresred wine
- a soft fruity one
- 5 tablespoonshoney
- or 130 g sugar
Spices
- 3cinnamon sticks
- 12whole cloves
- 1 teaspoonwhole black peppercorns
- 2bay leaves
- a pinch of grated nutmeg
- 3cm fresh ginger, sliced
Fruit
- 2oranges, sliced
- 1lemon, sliced
- 1apple, sliced
Sometimes added
- a shot of rakia
- 200 mlapple juice
Directions
- Keep it at a bare steam instead. Use a soft and fruity red wine. It should not be heavily tannic. Put the whole spices in a dry pan. Warm them over a medium low heat. Give them about two full minutes.
- Shake the pan as they warm through. They should smell noticeably stronger. Wash the oranges and lemon very thoroughly. Waxed fruit should be scrubbed well.
- Slice them all into thin rounds. Keep the peel on, since it carries the oil. Slice the apple up thinly as well. Pour about a third of the wine into a pot. Add the toasted spices and the ginger. Add the sliced fruit to the pot. Warm it gently over a low heat.
- Let it simmer very gently for ten minutes. The cold wine brings the temperature down. Warm the whole pot through gently. Bring it to a bare steam only. Never let it bubble at all here.
- Hold it there for fifteen minutes. Judging the temperature takes attention. Steam should rise from the surface. No bubbles should break it at all. Turn the heat right down if it starts to bubble. Adding the honey is done off the heat. Take the pot right off the heat. Stir the honey in until it dissolves.
- Taste it and adjust the sweetness. Add more honey if it seems sharp. Squeeze in more lemon if it is flat. Add it off the heat at the very end. Leaving them in keeps infusing it. Pour it into thick mugs or heatproof glasses. Add a fresh orange slice to each one.
- Add a cinnamon stick if you like. It is drunk standing in the cold. Warm alcohol is absorbed faster than cold. Never drive after drinking it.
Technique
- Hot spiced wine is a traditional cold remedy but is not a treatment: alcohol does not shorten an infection, can disturb the sleep a cold needs, and does not mix with many cold medicines; a hot honey and lemon drink soothes a throat without it.
- Bulgarian versions often include black peppercorns and sometimes bay leaf, which is less common further west and gives a warmer, slightly more savoury drink.
- Honey goes in off the heat, since heating it hard destroys its aroma, and the wine should never boil because alcohol evaporates well below boiling and the tannins turn harsh.
Substitutions
- Sugar stands in for honey, though the sweetness is flatter.
- Any soft fruity red wine works, and there is no point using a fine one.
Variations
- A shot of rakia is added in some households.
- Black pepper and bay leaf are characteristic Bulgarian additions.
- Glintvein, forralt bor and grzaniec are the same idea elsewhere.
History
Poured at Bulgarian ski resorts and Christmas markets, and made at home against colds.
Frequently asked questions
What is Greyano vino?
Greyano vino is a cocktail from Bulgaria: red wine warmed with honey, cloves and orange, drunk in winter. Poured at Bulgarian ski resorts and Christmas markets, and made at home against colds.
How long does Greyano vino take to make?
Greyano vino takes 10 minutes of preparation and 25 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Greyano vino?
Yes, within limits. Sugar stands in for honey, though the sweetness is flatter. Any soft fruity red wine works, and there is no point using a fine one.
What is the most important thing to get right in Greyano vino?
Keep it at a bare steam instead. Use a soft and fruity red wine. It should not be heavily tannic. Put the whole spices in a dry pan. Warm them over a medium low heat. Give them about two full minutes.
