The Tea And Wine Mash-Up That Will Refresh You All Summer

Hot tea is great and all, but we're not always in the mood for a warm beverage. Instead of drinking your tea in the traditional way, try using it to give your favorite wine an upgrade. Rather than sweltering sadly with a hot cup of tea, you can enjoy a nice, refreshing alcoholic beverage along with your next cookout dinner or dessert (and yes, you can serve white wine with barbecued meat).

Making a tea infusion with wine is easier than you might think, considering you only need two ingredients. You can use pretty much any wine and any tea, though for this application, we suggest sticking with good, mid-range options rather than your top-shelf, uber-rare varieties. Take your favorite tea leaves or a tea that matches the flavor profile of your wine. Green tea and chamomile are good picks for white wines. The bright acidity of Kim Crawford sauvignon blanc, the buttery white wine Giada De Laurentiis buys by the case, would complement a light, fruity tea or even butterfly tea flower tea. A robust black tea, such as Earl Grey, could pair well with a merlot or other red. As with any flavor pairing, you're looking for balance. 

You can vary the amount of leaves based on personal preference, but 2 ounces of tea per bottle of wine is a decent starting point. Add the leaves to the wine, let it steep, and then strain the whole thing out before serving it. That's the easiest way to get the job done, but of course, you can also go above and beyond by making a truly clear, crisp, and memorable drinking experience.

There are a few steps you want to take to get the best infusion possible. First, decant your wine. Pouring it into another container gives you way more wiggle room to add tea leaves. Next, rinse your leaves with just a splash of hot water, and add the wet leaves to your wine. Plop that container right into the fridge (for a white wine) or a cool spot (for a red wine) and let it infuse overnight. This produces a crisp and clear brew without any bitterness on the edge. Strain the leaves out the next day, and give it a whirl in the blender for about 30 seconds to aerate and open up the wine. You can skip this step, but it does bring some brightness to the flavor profile that adds to the refreshing vibes.

To take your infusion to the next level, you could toss in some other add-ins, too. Fresh herbs are simply magic in your sweet tea, and that also applies to your wine tea infusions. Think mint, lemon balm, and the like. Vanilla bean is also a good choice for a white tea, and you can't go wrong with fresh fruit or citrus. Strawberries and blueberries are easy to muddle and add into the wine, and lemon brings a bright and refreshing tartness that pairs perfectly with a bubbly champagne or dessert wine. The only ceiling is your imagination, so don't be afraid to go a little wild exploring your flavor combo options.