May Wine
It’s customary, in Germany, to celebrate the first of May with a glass of Maiwein, or a festive Maibowle if there’s a crowd coming. May wine is simply Riesling or other light wine flavored with sweet woodruff, which starts blooming in late April and early May. Strawberries show up around the same time and they’re a traditional garnish for May wine. Punch up the party factor even higher and spark your May wine with prosecco or cava.
1 - 750 ml bottle inexpensive Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Rhine or Moselle wine
12-15 sprigs sweet woodruff (including leaves, stems and blossoms), quickly rinsed and dried on a towel.
Lay out the sweet woodruff in a sunny spot and leave to wilt, 20-30 minutes, until fragrant. If it’s a cloudy or rainy day, this step can be done in a 275℉ oven. Allow about five minutes and remove from the oven as soon as the fragrance becomes obvious.
Open the bottle of wine and add the sweet woodruff to it, pushing the sprigs down into the bottle. You may have to pour a little out but keep the level up to the top of the bottle to prevent oxidation. Tightly cap or recork the bottle and store it on its side in the refrigerator for up to seven days.
Ready to serve your May wine? Strain the wine and serve chilled with a strawberry or two. Or make a spritzer by combining the May Wine with equal parts sparkling water, cava or prosecco. Best of all, turn it into a Maibowle by adding sparkling wine and half a cup or so of sugared sliced or crushed strawberries for a May Day toast!
A word of caution: although it occurs naturally, woodruff does contain coumarin in low doses. Please consume May wine cautiously if you have a sensitivity to coumarin.
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Strawberry Shortcake
There’s nothing sweeter than a Kentucky strawberry ripened under May sunshine. Strawberries are hitting the farmers markets this week; and u-pick farms are open, too. If you have any berries left over from your May Wine, our favorite way to celebrate Kentucky’s all-too-brief strawberry season is to make strawberry shortcake!
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