Holiday Mulled Wine with Samantha Sommelier

Holiday Mulled Wine with Samantha Sommelier 1080 1080 Wine4Food


Is there any more perfect holiday wine recipe than Mulled Wine? This combination of wine, citrus, spice, and spirit goes at least as far back as the Romans, and it’s a staple in holiday markets around the world (Glühwein anyone?). Our recipe is a collaboration from our host Carole Mac and Samantha Capaldi, AKA Samantha Sommelier, who came in from Arizona to mull over the perfect wine for our hot holiday brew: The Lavradores de Feitoria Estrada Red Blend, from the Douro Region in Portugal.

Here’s our recipe for Mulled Wine. But remember: You can make this however you like! Some recipes call for apples, a different spirit, cardamom, or even black peppercorns. The ingredients below will yield 3-4 mugs of deliciously spicy and festive mulled wine.

Ingredients

Wine: one bottle of Lavradores de Feitoria Estrada Red Blend
Spirit: 100 mL of Christian Drouin Calvados Selection
Citrus: Zest and juice of one orange, and lemon peel for garnish
Spice: In a cheesecloth, combine 1 tsp each of cinnamon, black peppercorns, allspice, cloves, and grated nutmeg.

We have also added a little bit of honey to enhance the sweetness of our mulled wine!

Directions

First, combine the spices, honey, and half of your wine and bring to a boil.

Concentrate these flavors by simmering on low for 15 minutes (FYI, this Estrada red blend has 13.5% alcohol. The rule of thumb is that 85% of your alcohol will remain after simmering, which is why the mulled wine is fortified with Calvados).

Add the rest of your wine, your spirit, and the citrus, and simmer for five more minutes.

Pour into mugs and garnish with a cinnamon stick and lemon peel.

Mulled wine can be made a few hours ahead of time. Just let it sit on the stove, covered, off the heat, and re-simmer over medium heat to enjoy. Beware – mulled wine makes your house smell festive and scrumptious. Enjoy!

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