Hibiscus and cinnamon-infused red wine? I was curious and a bit skeptical, but very pleased when I tasted the Tomalo Frio. Tomalo Frio – Drink it Cold – is a cold wine-based beverage that uses Tempranillo as the base wine. Dry hibiscus and cinnamon tea are seeped and blended to make a finished beverage of only 10.5% alcohol. Think of this as a wine cocktail. It’s surprisingly dry on the palate despite being very fragrant and aromatic on the nose. It smelled of red wine and baking spices. You’ll immediately recognize this if you’ve ever had mulled wine during the holidays.
Sam Parra makes several classic still wines like Tempranillo, Syrah, and red blends, so I was surprised when he chose Tomalo Frio as the most emblematic of his wine brand. He told me he wanted to showcase Latino cold beverages, i.e. “Aguas Frescas” like Jamaica, which this wine drink is modeled after. Agua Fresca’s, cool waters in Spanish, are light non-alcoholic beverages. The Jamaica is an herbal tea made of hibiscus flowers and consumed cold with a tart cranberry flavor. Sam’s Tomalo Frio is a nice spin on this and an improvement in my opinion, given the addition and modest use of red wine. Read Sam’s interview here to learn why he chose to feature the Tomalo Frio.