A Wine Christmas: Hot Spiced Christmas Wine

As the Christmas season approaches, and the last day of November is upon us, I will kick off December with a "12 Days of Christmas (Wine) Gifts" blog.  Get ready for some thrifty, fun, neat, and budget friendly (less than $50) gifts for the wine enthusiast, connoisseur, and newbie!  But until December arrives, let's kick off some holiday festivities with another wine recipe: Hot Spiced Wine.  I have to admit that I've never actually tried this, mostly because I enjoy wine as is.  But there are many out there who I'm sure would love to try this or who already love it.  Hot Spiced Wine, also known as Mulled Wine, is red wine that is mixed with spices and served warm (not overly hot).  It is somewhat like hot apple cider, but I believe mulled wine got its origins in Europe.  I know there are some wineries out there that already feature a spiced wine that is ready for the heating (I just don't know where you are... so if someone knows of one, please comment below!).  

Just the thought of Mulled Wine brings a hint of romance to the winter season.  Imagine a warm fireplace, some fresh bread, little blocks of cheese, a black and white video, Mulled Wine, and your hunny snuggling up beside you.  Who said the winter months aren't warm and romantic?

Below are two recipes I found online for those who would like to give it a try this Holiday Season.

Photos from Google Images

Hot Spiced Wine (Recipe from myrecipes.com) - This one has rave reviews!

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield: Makes 9 cups

Ingredients

• 2  (750-milliliter) bottles red wine
• 2  cups  apple juice
• 1  cup  sugar
• 6  tablespoons  mulling spice

Preparation

Bring all ingredients to a boil in a Dutch oven; reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a pitcher, discarding mulling spices. Serve wine hot.

Kitchen Notes

Find mulling spice in the spice aisle of your grocery store.

Also - shopping results for a Dutch oven

Hot Spiced Christmas Wine (Recipe from allrecipes.com) - For an extra kick, add some brandy!  I love it!

Ingredients

2 oranges

2 (750 milliliter) bottles red wine

• 1 (750 milliliter) bottle white wine
• 
  
• 1 (3 inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 
  
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 
  
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, or to taste
• 
  
• 1/4 cup brandy (optional)

Directions

1. Use a sharp knife or a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the oranges in strips, being careful to remove only the orange part, leaving the pith behind. Then, juice the oranges into a large, heavy-bottomed pot.
2. Pour the red wine and white wine into the pot with the orange juice. Place the strips of orange zest, ginger, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and brown sugar into the pot with the wine mixture; stir to dissolve the sugar.
3. Cover and heat over medium-high until heated through, but not boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and heat for an hour or longer to bring all of the flavors together. Adjust the sweetness by adding more brown sugar, as necessary. Strain and serve hot with a splash of brandy, if desired.

Footnotes

• Cook's Note: You can keep this wine over low heat (or in a slow cooker) for quite a while. As the wine heats, some of the alcohol in the wine will evaporate out.

Photos from Google Images