Mulled Wine
My first ever experience with mulled wine was at a Christmas market in Hungary. I was 15, travelling with my father and we were in the beautiful city of Eger.
While mulled wine seems to be entwined with the spirit of Christmas around the world, coming from New Zealand with its summery Christmas traditions of beach, barbeque and bubbles, it was a completely new experience.
I held the cup in my hands and let it warm my face for a moment, breathing in the fragrance of all the beautiful spices, before taking my first sip.
It... was... Magic.
While I still opt for bubbles for Christmas, I do love when the winter rolls round and I can cook up a big batch of mulled wine. For me, there is nothing nicer in winter than sitting around an outdoor fire with a mug of mulled wine.
When it comes to making a good mulled wine, there is only one rule you must follow – USE GOOD WINE! Now, I’m not saying you need to go to the shops and buy a bottle of Amisfield Pinot Noir, but you must use a wine you’d happily drink any day of the week. Depending on your preferences, this could see you spending anything from $8.99 - $20 easily.
If you’re not a big red wine drinker, I’d recommend using a Shiraz or another bold red. Jacob’s Creek and Taylor’s both offer a relatively affordable (and delicious) range if you’re ever unsure, but honestly, just use any wine with a flavour you like.
Now, before you get started, I should warn you – this recipe packs a punch. If you prefer a sweeter or more mellow mulled wine I’d advise adding a 1/4 cup of warmed apple juice to your serving.
Mulled Wine
Serves 2 – 4**
Cook time: 30 minutes (minimum)
**If doubling the recipe, only double the wine, sugar and cook time. It’s already very strong as it is and the spices should still pack a lot of flavour, especially if you give them longer to infuse.
1 bottle (750ml) good red wine
1/4 cup sugar
8 cardamom pods
2 cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean
Large handful of black peppercorns
1 orange
Whisky – to serve
Start by placing a pot on the stove over a low heat. It’s important that the heat is low as we don’t want the mulled wine to come to the boil or cook off the alcohol.
Next, pour the wine into the pot followed immediately by the cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, pepper corns and sugar. Stir for around 10 – 15 seconds to help the sugar dissolve
While the mulled wine mix is warming up, with an apple peeler, peel the rind off the orange. Once removed, thinly slice the orange and add both the orange rind and flesh into the pot.
Lastly, take the vanilla bean and split down the middle so the seeds are visible. Add the vanilla bean to the mix and allow to slowly simmer.
While the mulled wine is ready to drink after 30 minutes, the longer you leave it the better. Sometimes, I’ll even double the recipe and leave half for the next day. The flavour improves.
When you’re ready to serve, add a capful of whiskey to the bottom of each mug. I find it easiest to pour the mulled wine into a large coffee plunger, using that to serve but you could also either ladle the mulled wine into each mug or pour it straight from the pot.
While I haven’t noted this in the ingredient list, if the mulled wine is too strong, or not sweet enough for your taste, heat a 1/4 of a cup of apple juice and add to your serving.
When cleaning up, do not discard the vanilla bean or cinnamon sticks. You should be able to use these a 1 – 2 more times, so just rinse and set side to dry on a paper towel before storing in a clean jar. Store where you keep your spices.