Cozy Up For This Mulled Wine Recipe

The festive season is upon us and that means it's time for my winter favorite, spiced mulled wine otherwise know as glühwine. Glühwine is steeped in tradition from the Alpine regions. This drink is reminiscent of Christmas markets in Europe and the U.S. where you can find this beverage to warm up as you shop for homemade desserts and gifts.

There is no one right way to make mulled wine but here are some tips:

-Pick a red wine that is dry, full-bodied with fruit notes such as dried or jammy fruit.

-Use classic winter spices such as star anise, cardamom, and clove.

-You can add citrus fruit and other alcoholic beverages to add extra flavor such as oranges and brandy.

-Stove top or a crockpot works well for warming the wine. I prefer to use a crockpot on low heat to control the temperature and avoid boiling.

For this recipe I chose a California Zinfandel that had red and black jammy fruit notes, vanilla and coffee spice. The bottle was moderately priced around $10 from Trader Joes. The quality of wine you choose can impact the final flavors as they develop but I wouldn't go too expensive.

Without further ado, here is our family mulled wine recipe:

Ingredients:

One bottle of dry, red wine (Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon work well)

2 whole star anise

10 whole cloves

3 cinnamon sticks

1 tablespoon sugar (up to 2 tablespoons according to taste)

3/4 cup fresh cranberries

1 orange, peeled

1 orange, zested (optional)

Directions:

Pour all ingredients into a crockpot on low heat for 1 hour or into a pot on the stove on low heat for 1 hour (or less). You can strain out the fruit and spices from the crockpot and then garnish with fresh fruit and spices and enjoy!

Happy holidays!