I love the way its sweet and tangy flavor plays off the spices, wine, and orange juice. Apple cider – Instead of adding sugar to this recipe, I sweeten it naturally with apple cider.Fresh oranges – I simmer the wine with the zest and juice of 1/2 orange, and I always serve it with orange slices for garnish.No need to break the bank here – because you’ll be adding so much to the wine, an inexpensive, but still decent, bottle will work just fine. Wine, of course! – Look for a dry red wine such as merlot.Ready to make mulled wine? Here’s what you’ll need: Technically, that amount should serve 3, but the hot wine is so warming and flavorful that we always go back for seconds. If you – like us – aren’t serving a crowd this year, feel free to scale it down. I originally developed this mulled wine recipe a few years back, with holiday entertaining in mind. The heady, spiced aroma on its own is reason enough to make it! It’s not only a) delicious and b) super simple to make, but it also makes your kitchen smell amazing. If you’ve never made mulled wine before, you’re in for a treat. With a mug of it in hand, I forget that it’s cold outside in an instant! Packed with notes of citrus, apple, and warming spices, it’s cozy and festive – the perfect defense against Chicago’s winter weather. Colorful garnishes like orange slices, cranberries, and fresh rosemary make it even more cheery. These wines also have a high alcohol content, which is important if you want your wine to retain a bit of structure after it’s been heated and had some of its alcohol burned off.Jack and I may not always get around to putting up the Christmas tree, but we do love to celebrate the holiday season by making this mulled wine recipe. Not only do these have all the attributes you need for making good quality mulled wine – bold, juicy and structured without the tannins being too harsh, with a good balance of fruit flavours and spice – they’re also relatively inexpensive without sacrificing on quality. Our advice? Try an Australian Shiraz (a French Syrah will be too tannic), an Argentinian Malbec, or a fruity Italian varietal such as Nero d’Avola or Primitivo. It’s also important not to use anything too tannic, as mulling wine tends to further concentrate tannins, which could lead to a slightly unpleasant sensation! So stick to bolder, fruitier reds that can handle the heat for this traditional holiday drink. The process of mulling can mean that a lighter style of red wine with more delicate flavours, such as Pinot Noir, will be pretty much undetectable in the end result. There are certain factors that are worth considering if you want your mulled wine to have an explosion of fruit flavours as well as spice. The Nerdy BitĬhoosing the right bottle for this isn’t as simple as picking any dry red. Keep tasting, and top up with more honey / sugar or orange juice if you feel it’s lacking in sweetness or zestįor an extra punchy mulled wine, we’d recommend adding a splash of brandy (Cognac works best), whisky (go for Bourbon) or port to the pan once you’ve reduced the heat right down.Keep checking on it to ensure the blend doesn’t bubble – as this is a sign that too much alcohol is being burnt off!.Reduce the heat to low, add in the star anise and the rest of the red wine, then cover and leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Once the honey / sugar has blended into the wine, boil for a few minutes until the texture of the wine becomes syrupy.Add in your more subtle spices (basically, everything but the star anise) and just enough red wine to submerge the ingredients, and simmer.Add the honey / sugar to a large saucepan on a medium heat, squeeze in some fresh clementine juice, and throw in your chunks of clementine, lemon and apple.For the sweetness, a big dollop of honey or some heaped tablespoons of caster sugar will strike the right balance. A few slices of clementine and lemon and a dash of freshly squeezed orange juice will add some much needed zest, while some chunks of apple will complement the clove and cinnamon nicely. To balance out those pungent spices, you’ll need to add in extra fruity flavours and up the sweetness. Although for added complexity, we’d suggest a handful of peppercorns, coriander seeds and cardamom pods too. That’s mulled wine in a nutshell, and what you’re aiming to achieve with your combination of ingredients.įor the quintessential mulled wine, there are certain spices that are absolutely essential, and these are cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, nutmeg and vanilla. Warm, sweet, fruity and full of citrus and spice.
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