How to Make Mulled Wine

Mulled wine has been enjoyed for thousands of years; now it's a holiday tradition. It's simply wine that's been slightly sweetened and spiced, but there are a few tricks to making it well. (For a similar hot holiday drink that's nonalcoholic, see "How to Make Mulled Cider.") This recipe serves five.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• 2/3 c. sugar
• 1 750ml bottle wine
• 1/2 c. brandy
• 6 to 8 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• orange peel from 1/2 orange
• Groceries
• Ladles
• Saucepans
• Peelers
• Paring Knives
• Mugs

1. Pour the wine into a nonreactive saucepan and place over low heat.

2. Cut the zest off half an orange with a sharp paring knife or vegetable peeler so that only the orange part is removed. If some of the bitter white pith is still attached to the zest, cut it off and discard it.

3. Lightly pound the pieces of zest with the back of a knife or a mallet to release the aromatic oils. Add the zest to the wine. Squeeze some juice in, too.

4. Add the remaining ingredients.

5. Stir occasionally. Do not let the wine come to a boil.

6. When the wine begins to steam and is very hot, it is ready to serve.

7. Shut off the heat and ladle the wine out into mugs or glasses, leaving the seasonings behind.

Tips & Warnings

• Mulled wine can be made from red or white wine. Zinfandel is great, but merlot also works well. Among white wines, riesling and viognier are good choices.

• Wines that have been aged in oak do not make good mulled wine.

• Don't pay too much for wine to mull, but don't pay too little, either. A bad wine becomes even worse when heated. Shoot for the $7 to $10 range.

• If using white wine, try using Turbinado (unrefined) sugar for a more complex taste. Turbinado's subtleties are lost in red wine, however.

• Always use a stainless steel, ceramic, heatproof glass or nonstick coated pot to mull the wine in. The acids in the wine can react with an aluminum pot and give the final product a metallic taste.