May Wine, the Sangria of Spring

After a long, cold winter, there’s nothing better to celebrate the arrival of Spring than May wine (maiwein in German). This traditional drink originated in Germany where simple white wine (usually Mosel) was mixed with the new leaves of the herb sweet woodruff (known in Germany as waldmeister) to create a special drink to honor Spring. This was often drunk after a dance around the May pole, a beribboned pole that is another harbinger of the season.

Essential Ingredient of May Wine
May wine’s taste comes from its most essential ingredient, sweet woodruff. It’s important when making May wine that the sprigs of the plant are the baby leaves that have just emerged. It’s also important not to overdo the amount of sweet woodruff that is used, because when taken in large volumes or when too mature, the plant can have very negative effects.

Early May is when the herb is most likely to see its first green shoots emerging, and that’s why the wine is made at this particular time. It’s a very limited season for May wine but that makes it even more special.

Creating Your Own May Wine
To make May wine, choose a bottle of light white German wine. True to its peasant roots, May wine does not depend on an expensive bottle. Add one-half ounce of the new leaves of a sweet woodruff plant, and two or three tablespoons of sugar (to your own sweetness preference level). Steep this mixture overnight, so that the wine becomes imbued with the flavor of the sweet woodruff. Strain. The wine mixture should be chilled, and strawberries are a traditional addition to the wine (also arriving with the Spring).

Sometimes, May wine is served as a punch, known in German as Maibowle (May bowl). In that case, sparkling wine (such as champagne), brandy, or carbonated water might be added. Other fruit, such as oranges or pineapple might be included if desired. It’s easy to think of May wine as the “Sangria of Spring.”

What Does May Wine Taste Like?
The most obvious question is just what flavor does the sweet woodruff imbue into the wine? As you might expect, it is resonant of Spring flavors, such as freshly mown hay, clover, honey, and an echo of cinnamon. It’s fresh and clean, much like the wine with which it is mixed.

Type of Wine to Use
The most common types of white wines used in making May wine are Mosel, Rhine, and other light German wines.

For those who don’t have any sweet woodruff on hand or aren’t sure about making their first batch of May wine, there is an alternative. The Glunz Family Winery and Cellars of Grayslake, Illinois, is one good company that sells already prepared May wine as a seasonal specialty, which retails at about $10 a bottle.

For those who want to experience a taste of the season, May wine is a good way to celebrate the end of winter with family and friends. Like Beaujolais Nouveau, it’s the signal of a change of seasons, and a sweet taste of things to come.

Resources:
German Culture Website, http://www.germanculture.com.ua
Gluntz Family Winery, http://www.gfwc.com/
Spring Wine,” Martha Stewart Living (May 2005)