Vino Cotto or Vincotto

Dear readers and friends,                                                                            Articolo in italiano

Today I want to talk about an ancient Sicilian recipe made with grapes: Vino Cotto or Vincotto .

Vincotto

Its use derives from the peasant tradition, from the wisdom of those who work in the fields and know nature and its rhythms well. Sicilian cooked wine is a bit particular. It was used as a cough syrup, but also as an ingredient in many autumn desserts, such as grape mustard and various types of cooked wine biscuits. These are strong flavors, perfect for facing the first chills of autumn. According to some it is a real elixir of youth. What is certain is that it can be used in many ways: think that, until a few decades ago, there were those who used it to moisturize the skin of newborns... A thick drink, with an intense color, with a characteristic and fruity smell, it has a sweet and pleasant taste. Reading the more modern recipes you can also find cinnamon or cloves, which flavor cooked wine.  

Method

1. Turn on the flame and bring the wort to a boil.
2. Lower the heat only when you see the first bubbles and cook for several hours, taking care to mix carefully until the must has reduced to about a third.
3. It is a long and tedious business. For this reason it is advisable to work on large quantities.
4. Our grandmothers' saints, to be sure that the must had reduced to 1/3, used a long wooden spoon on which they made a mark after having dipped it inside  a large pot.
5. During cooking, you can add a few cinnamon peels to the must or flavor the wine with cloves or orange peels dried in the sun and then chopped.
6. When you are sure that the solution has reduced by a third, pour a little cooked wine into a dish and if you notice that the mixture is struggling to drip then it means that you have finished cooking.
7. The mulled wine is ready. You just have to let it cool and then store it in clean and dry glass bottles.

Advice for storing cooked wine : if well corked and stored in the dark, cooked wine can stay for months and even years. Viola Dante's recipe.

Cooked wine Properties

Cooked wine is antioxidant and protects against  cardiovascular diseases . Wide has been its use as an anti-flu remedy, to protect against coughs, colds and the first feverish states. It is rich in polyphenols and can counteract the damaging effect of free radicals.

Do you think that, in ancient times, the farmers used it as a thirst quencher during work in the fields, as a balm for the skin and as a syrup to clear the respiratory tract. 

Today there are those who still use it against cough, joint pain, sore throat and loss of appetite. Furthermore, cooked wine improves blood circulation, attenuates intestinal fermentation and is useful against indigestion.

Try making it at home like I did, it's very useful to keep it indoors especially in this winter period.