Well the holiday season has arrived! I think one of my favourite things about this time of year is the mulled wine. There is nothing like sitting with friends enjoying a nice warm glass of mulled wine. Most people don’t know that mulled wine didn’t come about as a warm festive alternative to a glass of red wine, but rather that it was created as a way to make red wine taste better back when it would expire and go bad rather quickly. The addition of honey and spices made it drinkable again. Today, however, is it seen more as a lovely treat and way to warm up around Christmas time.

There are many recipes that are floating around the internet and in cook books for how to make a mulled wine. To be honest I am not going to sit here and say that one recipe is better than others. Most mulled wines consist of the same basic ingredients: orange, nutmeg, clove and of course red wine. Some people like to add brandy or cognac, while others like to add candy canes for an extra little oomph. From my experience in mulled wine I can say one thing for certain, it is not necessary to use expensive red wines. Because of all the additions to the wine, I have never used an expensive bottle of wine, perhaps the most expensive bottle I’ve used cost around $10.

What recipe is my personal favourite? Honestly, I don’t make mulled wine from scratch. I have found that the mulled wine pouches or syrups that you can purchase in retail outlets are excellent. The guess work is taken out in terms of how much spice needs to be added and the flavours are exquisite. You can always experiment with additions to your mulled wine along with your store bought spice pouches to make a unique enjoyable flavour.

Seasons Greetings!