Mulled Wine

So winter is approaching and that means you need to warm up on those chilly nights. My favorite way is to crack out the mulled wine. This is the recipe I have been developing and refining for the last few years. It is also a way to make cheap wine taste good.

Ingredients
12 Whole Cloves
1 long cinnamon stick, snapped in two or three pieces
1/4 cup of sugar (raw, white or caster will all work)
1 whole nutmeg, roughly crushed with a knife
500ml water
Rind of 1 orange, grated or peeled and chopped
Juice of the above mentioned orange
1 apple, skin on, roughly chopped, not cored
1 bottle of red wine, I prefer shiraz or merlot,


Combine all the ingredients except the wine in a saucepan, bring to the boil and then simmer uncovered for 15-20 mins, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat to the lowest setting and then add the wine. Allow it to heat up to a very gentle simmer while covered. How long you simmer it for is up to you (see tips).

Since I can't drink it all at once, I bottle it in a resealable bottle (see below) and reheat when I want to drink. Reheating in the microwave works fine. It lasts about 2 weeks if kept in the fridge.

TIPS

Longer simmering times will create a smoother and richer taste but will reduce the taste of the wine. Short simmer times will maintain the taste of the wine.

The longest I have simmered the wine for for is 2 hours and the shortest was 5 mins. The results are very different so experiment and let us know what works for you.

Remember, this stuff will send you to sleep. I normally drink when I want to go to bed. Enjoy.