The traditional winter treat for warming up those freezing cold days is Mulled Wine. The tradition of defending against winter chills with Mulled Wine seems to date back to the Roman Empire when soldiers would heat wine to keep themselves warm. As the Empire spread, so did the idea of Mulled Wine.
Today, we think of Mulled Wines as a holiday beverage, but it is a wonderful way to enjoy wine and to spread the luscious scent of spices as you prepare it. The trick to keeping alcohol from burning off is to do this on a low heat and to allow it to gently heat over 30 minutes and to let it stand in a covered pot to cool a little before serving. The longer the wine stands, the more robust the infusion of the spices will be.
Our favorite Mulled Wine is:
- 1 bottle of your favorite red wine
- 3 whole cinnamon sticks
- 2 inch piece of ginger sliced
- 1 tbs of whole cloves
- 1/4 cup Maple Syrup
- 2 oranges cut in half
Stir all ingredients into a large pot (5 cups). Squeeze the orange juice into the pot and then add the orange rinds. Gently warm the wine mixture for about 30 minutes. Make sure that you don’t let the wine come to a full boil. The longer it heats, the more the spices will infuse the wine. Let the wine cool a little bit
Strain the cloves, ginger and cinnamon as you pour glasses. Serve warm with a slice of orange as a garnish.