Mulled Wine

This is not necessarily a type of wine, more like a serving suggestion, but this is one of my favorite fall/winter/holiday beverages. In fact, it was almost 90 degrees here today, but I was in the mood for mulled wine due to my sore throat.

I am sure there are many recipes for mulled wine. Here is just my experience and suggestions. I tend to use an inexpensive Cabernet Sauvignon. You can use more expensive wine, but I wouldn't until you experiment a few times with cheaper wine. Also, more expensive wine tastes good by itself, I don't like to waste it in mulled wine, but perhaps I will try a bottle sometime. Tonight I stopped at Walgreens and just picked up a $3.50 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon.

I used premade mulling spices from Williams~Sonoma. The spices include cloves, allspice berries, cinnamon, orange rind. Some include nutmeg as well. I use a tea infuser to steep the spices in the wine. I like to add a splash of orange juice and sugar. I heat the wine on a low-medium setting (3-4 out of 10) and once warm enough to dissolve sugar, turn it down to warm or near lowest setting. You can add cranberry juice also and steep orange slices in the wine while it heats if you like.

If the wine is overheated, the alcohol will cook out. That is no fun! Keep it warm, but not hot. The cinnamon creates a warm holiday flavor in the wine and it is the perfect drink to accompany a great book, warm blanket, and a cool wintery day.