Mulled wine is a classic drink for the Christmas period however the drinking of mulled wine need not be confined to the Christmas holidays. A warm spiced wine is suitable for all manner of festive events.
Which Wine for Mulled Wine
The most important element of a mulled wine is the selection of an appropriate bottle of red wine in the first instance. A common sense approach should be taken, on the one hand it would not be appropriate to use a prized and expensive bottle.
However, use of a cheap, poor quality bottle will result in the production of an inferior quality mulled wine. As such select a middle of the road bottle, New World Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots tend to make a good canvases.
Here’s the basic recipe:
- One bottle of red wine – consider a New World Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 6 whole cloves
- 2 ounces Brandy
- 1 Tablespoons brown sugar
- Juice of one whole orange, about 4 ounces
How to Make Mulled Wine
Making mulled wine is a simple process and takes little time. The golden rule, however, is not to allow the wine to boil as this will ruin the final flavor of the drink.
Add the wine to a large saucepan and warm slowly. Do not allow the wine to boil.
Once the wine is warmed through, add the sugar and spices and continue to warm the mixture for a further 10 minutes
Finally add the orange juice and brandy, just before serving and give mulled wine a good mix. Serving is best done using a ladle, since this will allow the exclusion of the whole spices used in the preparation
This should be considered as a blank canvas for a mulled wine, since the recipe is easily adapted to create a personalised version.
Welcome additions to the mixture include additional spices such as nutmeg as well as other citrus fruits. Cconsider adding the rind of the orange used to add an additional kick.
Another consideration is to experiment with different spirits. The addition of brandy at the end of the recipe serves to replace some of the alcohol lost during the cooking.
Easy adaptations are made by trying different spirits. In general, fruit-based spirits will do better than grain-based versions.
Anne Parris
Anne Parris is a managing partner Midlife Boulevard. Her personal blog, Not A Supermom, is your typical mommy blog that her kids say used to be funnier. Anne has a business degree and a dusty résumé from a top accounting firm and a Fortune 500 company, which she reminds herself of every time she is washing underpants. She lives with her family in Virginia and blogs mostly to support her coffee habit.
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