For the tenth date of christmas, my true love gave to me, warm wine goodness, fireside.
In the UK, you’d be hard pressed to find a pub that doesn’t serve mulled wine this time of year. It’s an old winter tradition across the pond with roots reaching back as far as second century Rome. Two years ago we visited London in the days before Christmas and tried a few, even finding food trucks that sold the hot spiced drink.
And while you’d be less likely to come across mulled wine on a menu in Nova Scotia, we have our own tradition here – Glowine. Technically, it isn’t our tradition. The Jost family came to Nova Scotia from Germany where Glühwein is a popular Christmas drink. Glühwein is similar to mulled wine but typically uses a mix of red and fruit wines.
Thanks to the Jost family, Glowine has become a welcome accompaniment for Christmas celebrations for many Nova Scotians. Unlike its German or British counterparts, Jost Glowine is made entirely from fruit wines – Blueberry and Apple – How appropriately Nova Scotian! They spice the fruit wine blend with cloves and cinnamon.
The result is a warm, semi-sweet, fruity drink. It’s hard to describe the taste – a little spice, a hint of cider, with the cinnamon taste getting stronger as the drink goes down (if you add a cinnamon stick as the bottle recommends).
We picked up a bottle for our 10th Date of Christmas to enjoy fireside with some books. But in my opinion, Glowine is best served to a group. It’s a fun, unique Nova Scotia take on an old festive tradition, and an interesting twist for a dinner party drink. Plus, you can’t beat the smell of spices and fruit stewing in a big pot on the stove.
Still have some shopping to do? Find more than 250 local gift ideas on the 2014 Local Wishlist!
Follow our adventures live:
