Tinto de Verano is one of my go-to drinks, especially in summer when it’s hot and all I want is something cold and easy to sip.
It’s simple, refreshing, and full of flavour.
It all started in the 20th century at a place called Venta de Vargas in Córdoba. This inn was popular with musicians and singers. On hot evenings, they began serving a mix of red wine and fizzy drinks to cool people down, and it became a big hit. People would go there just for the drink.
The idea came from the inn’s owner, Antonio Vargas del Moral. It caught on so quickly that other bars and restaurants started serving it too. Over time, the drink spread across the country. By the end of the century, you could even buy it in bottles at the shop, with different brands offering their own versions.
As for the name, “Tinto de Verano” means “summer red wine.” People started using it to tell it apart from regular red wine, and the name stuck!
If you want to make it at home for four people, it’s as easy as it gets. You just need 750 ml of red wine, 750 ml of fizzy lemon, plenty of ice, and a few lemon slices.
I’m not trying to claim the perfect recipe, but I always go for half wine, half fizzy lemon, loads of ice, and lemon to give it a sharp, fresh kick. The lemon helps balance the sweetness, and the drink turns out just right.
A lot of people add vodka or other spirits to make it a tasty Summer Wine punch.
