Mulled Wine, a.k.a. winter sangria, is red wine dressed up like a Christmas tree for the holidays. Poetic, but true. With a red wine base (need I say more) add some more alcohol and spices and all of a sudden it tastes like the holidays. Make this and all you will need is to sit in front of the fire and watch your favourite hallmark Christmas movie.
As a bonus mulled wine is easy to make. All you need is a crockpot. Add the ingredients, walk away, come back 45 minutes later and it's done! No standing around waiting for things on the stovetop.
If you are wondering what type of wine to use, I would suggest an inexpensive red blend. You don’t want to use expensive wine because you are going to be adding more flavour to it which will hide the original taste of the wine. I usually use VQA (Ontario wines) which do well in mulled wine since they are a little bit sweeter than other regions.
I would say that mulled wine is perfect for holiday parties because of its easy preparation, but we’re in a pandemic, so no parties. I have gone ahead and cut down the recipe a little bit so that you don’t have a tonne of leftovers. This should make about 4 or 5 glasses.
Recipe
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups of red wine
½ cup brandy
1 cup apple cider
½ cup cranberry juice
3 tbsp brown sugar
6 cinnamon sticks
1 medium orange (sliced into rounds)
a handful of cranberries
dash of whole cloves
1 or 2 tbsp of star anise (based on your own preference)
1. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker on high. Give it a couple stirs to help the sugar spread out so it can dissolve.
2. Let it warm for forty-five minutes. Stir. Serve in a heatproof glass. Don’t forget to use some of the items in the crockpot for garnish!
