Mulled Wine

I have been elected to provide the Mulled wine for a reformation dinner with my Church next week and am trying to come up with a good recipe.

I have found a number on line but I thought it might be a good idea to check with my friends here at CRN before I go off the deep end here.

Since I typically prefer a little better wine myself and all the recipes call for cheap wine,,,,,, I could use some brand suggestions on that count definitely


Thanks in advance friends!

Michael

Don't even think about raiding my wine cellar.


I would think that you would want something with a bit more bite to go along with the spices. I would suggest going with a cabernet. Merlot is a bit heavy, to be adding those kinds of spices to it. Try a Hess, Oakville, Clos Du Val, Jordan or Twenty Bench. Those are all California Cabs and run between $20 - $30. You would be better off if you can find a couple of bottles that are 4-6 years old, instead of the 2-3 years old. The tannins will have had a chance to age a bit and blend better with the spices.


I still just hate the thought of ruining a good wine. YIKES!!! DON'T DO IT!!!

Your suggestions about type and flavor are good. The problem, as you yourself say, is that it's the ruination of a really good wine to trick it all up with spices and also heat it, thus letting some of the alcohol off besides . I would say -- and some may disagree -- that the point of mulling a wine is to make a hot drink that tastes good, is festive and entertaining, and warms the body and soul in the season. So it doesn't necessarily have to be a gourmet experience -- the wine should of course be drinkable as you define it, but not much more than that. I think spicing and heating wine probably started with wines that were not distinguished, or maybe beginning to go "off", since some of the recipes also add a bit of sweetening as honey or fruit.

Whole cinnamon sticks and whole cloves are the basic spices. Ground spices just make an icky sediment. I think the best tip for success is: careful what you use for a pot. Wine is acidic, and if your pot is a metal that leaches, the mulled wine will taste awful. I usually use a big glass coffee pot. A crock pot also works just fine -- on high for a bit, then cut back to simmer and keep it warm. You can put the crockpot right on the table to serve from.

http://www.lisashea.com/wine/mulled/index.html
Here is a page with some variations. I think the English one from 1660 is interesting -- "Hippocras", it's called -- I think I might do it without the cream and use a lot less sugar, but I like the mix of other spices (even black pepper), even though I do think it must have been an effort to mask the flavor of a wine that had gone off. Also look at the Glogg recipes whn you scroll down -- this is a sweetened Swedish mulled winre with raisins in it. It also adds cardamom to the spices, and cardamom is reputed to be a mood elevator.

This is a recipe from a friend in France, it is posted on another cooking forum I belong to:

The Oxford Bishop - 19th Century Fruity Mulled Port Wine Recipe #200954
A lovely Traditional old English recipe by Eliza Acton, a 19th Century cookery writer of great repute! Also mentioned in "The Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, although it was called Smoking Bishop!! This is a fruity & warm mulled Port Wine drink which brings a glow to your face & warmth to your aching joints!! Just the drink to have after returning from Christmas Midnight Mass or whilst listening to Carols from Kings College on Christmas Eve. I have used wine in the past when the port was finished!!
by French Tart
6 servings
35 min 5 min prep
1 whole orange
16 whole cloves
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground mace or ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
10 fluid ounces water
750 ml ruby port
1 orange, juice of

Pre-heat oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.
Cut the orange in half and stud the 2 halves with the cloves.
Place the two halves on a lined baking tray cut-side up, and bake for 15 - 20 minutes.
Take out of the oven & set to one side.
Meanwhile pour the water into a large pan and add the sugar, cinnamon, mace, allspice & ginger.
Place over a high heat and stiring all the time, bring to the boil and let it boil until it has reduced by about half.
Take off the heat & set to one side.
When you are ready to serve the Oxford Bishop, empty the bottle of port into the pan with the spiced sugar water and add the two halves of baked oranges too.
Add the orange juice and gently heat up and simmer - be careful NOT to boil it!
Serve from a warmed Punch Bowl with the orange halves floating in it - should serve about 6 people.