Winter is Coming... Prepare Yourself With Wine

For those of you based in NC and surrounding areas, I'm sure you are well aware that we are expecting some winter weather this weekend.

My concern is not for the bread or the milk. But the wine. While you enjoy your milk sandwiches, I'll be having a fruit salad for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that consists of everyone's favorite 'adult juice'.

If only there was a drink that combined wine and warmness. But wait... wait if I told you there is such a thing and it's delicious? 

Welcome to the world of mulled wine. You may have heard of it, but have you ever tried making it on your own? Today is the day to start!

Mulled wine is popular in European countries and consists of red wine and various other ingredients. You're able to tweak recipes to your liking. It is served piping hot and puts a new twist on the room temperature red wine we so often enjoy.

Thanks to my brother, he introduced me to my long, long love--Glühwein. This is a Germany mulled wine favorite around Christmas time.

He was kind enough to share his recipe with me. Lucky for you all, I even received permission to share.

Ingredients: 

1 L of red wine (Bottle and a half-ish) 

[this should be a blended red; merlot and cabernet sovereign]

8 cloves

3 sticks of cinnamon

2 oranges (juice pressed and the rein sliced)

2 lemons (juice pressed and the rein sliced)

1 Star anise (Chinese star) not necessary

2 shots of Amaretto (ish) 

5 tablespoons of sugar

Preparation:

Put the red wine into a pot and warm (do not boil).

Put the cloves (ideally in a wrap or strainer for easy removal), cinnamon sticks, and the juice into the wine (do not cook/boil!). Keep everything warm for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Take out the spices, stir in the amaretto and sugar. Done! (and serve)

And that's it? Who knew it could be so simple and inexpensive? 

This stuff is worth the purple teeth, believe me. I plan on making a few batches this weekend--with snow or without snow.

For those of you brave enough to try it, let me know how you enjoy it. If you're a longtime fan of mulled wine, share some of your favorite recipes with me. I'm always looking for new ways to drink wine--warm, hot, chilled, from a glass, from a coffee cup, from the bottle. 

To my Southerners preparing for the 2017 Snow Armageddon, be careful this weekend. Stay warm and most importantly, keep your glasses filled!