Teranino

Teranino (Croatian Red Wine Liqueur)

A traditional Croatian liqueur from the Istrian region, Teranino is made by steeping spices and citrus in Teran red wine and sweetening it into a rich, ruby-hued digestif. It is typically served chilled in small glasses as an after-dinner drink.

Prep

15 min

Cook

20 min

Total

35 min

Serves

Makes about 1 litre (roughly 34 fl oz)

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •750 ml (25 fl oz) Teran red wine, or another dry, tannic red such as Refošk if Teran is unavailable
• •200 g (7 oz / 1 cup) granulated sugar
• •1 whole lemon, untreated/unwaxed; peel only
• •2 sticks cinnamon, true Ceylon or cassia, about 5 g
• •1 whole vanilla pod, split lengthwise; 1 tsp vanilla extract may be substituted
• •4 cloves whole cloves, optional, traditional addition
• •60 ml (2 fl oz / ¼ cup) grappa or neutral spirit, optional, raises alcohol and improves keeping

Steps

1. 1 Wash the lemon thoroughly under hot water, pat dry, and remove the zest in wide strips with a vegetable peeler, leaving the bitter white pith behind.
2. 2 Pour the wine into a non-reactive saucepan (stainless steel or enamel). Add the sugar, lemon peel, cinnamon sticks, split vanilla pod (scrape the seeds into the pot and add the pod as well), and cloves if using.
3. 3 Heat gently over medium-low heat, stirring, until the sugar fully dissolves. Do not let the mixture boil — keep it just below a simmer (around 80 °C / 175 °F) for 10 minutes so the alcohol does not evaporate.
4. 4 Remove from the heat, cover, and let it cool to room temperature. Then transfer to a glass jar, seal, and steep in a cool dark place for 5 to 7 days, tasting daily after day 3; the flavour deepens as it rests.
5. 5 After steeping, strain the liquid through a fine sieve or cheesecloth-lined funnel into a clean bottle. Stir in the grappa if using.
6. 6 Store sealed in a cool, dark place. The liqueur will keep for several months; flavour continues to improve over the first 2 to 3 weeks. Serve well chilled, in small liqueur glasses, as a digestif.