Sangria
- Very easy
- 15 min
- Kcal 252
Mulled wine is a delicious aromatic drink prepared with red wine and enjoyed piping hot. This preparation is typical of Italian and central European mountain areas, where it is habitually enjoyed in the winter: a hot and restoring treat on the coldest of days, it is also considered by many to be an ancient remedy against seasonal ailments, just like the classic herbal tea. Mulled wine is prepared with spices, citrus fruits, sugar and a full bodied red wine that varies according to the area of provenance. Versions of this recipe also include different ingredients for seasoning: some use cardamom or ginger, while other also add small pieces of apple to flavor the wine. In any case, the result will be a fragrant, intensely flavored beverage, perfect for serving with chestnuts or a delicious strudel. A sip of mulled wine and it will feel like winter right away!
To make mulled wine, prepare all the spices you'll need for the recipe, then thinly slice the lemon 1 and orange 2 peel, without removing the white part, which would add a bitter flavor to the preparation. Place the sugar in a steel saucepan that is not too tall 3,
add the cinnamon sticks 4, the juniper berries 5, the cloves 6
and the star anise 7. Now add the citrus peel and last of all, the full bodied red wine 8. Place the saucepan on the fire and slowly bring to the boil; simmer on a low flame for 5 minutes and stir until all the sugar dissolves 9.
Now bring a flame to the surface of the wine: you can use a candle or a wooden skewer; be careful not to burn yourself: this will set the alcohol in the wine on fire: wait for it to burn itself out 10. When the fire goes out, filter the mulled wine using a very fine meshed colander 11 and serve piping hot 12. Enjoy your mulled wine!