Drink Up: Mulled Wine
With blustering winds and almost-Arctic temperatures, this winter is definitely calling for wine–a call that most of us have on speed dial. Flavors of holiday festivities, including nutmeg, cinnamon and apple cider are infused together in Robert Mondavi Private Selection’s Coastal Crush Mulled Wine to create both the taste and feel of warmth that not even a shirtless photo of Ryan Gosling can replicate.
To save you from a night of watching the latest episode of Girls in your snuggie, we’ve got the recipe to help you combat the cold:
Ingredients:
1 bottle Robert Mondavi Private Selection Coastal Crush Red Blend
2 cups apple cider
½ cup honey or sugar (or more to taste)
2 cinnamon sticks
1 large orange (and the juice)
1 lemon, 1 lime
4 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
2 star anise pods
1 whole vanilla pod, cut lengthwise
Whole nutmeg for grating
Directions:
1. Peel long strips of rind from the orange, lemon and lime and place in a saucepan along with the sugar/honey and the juice of the orange.
2. Add the cloves, cinnamon sticks, 3 gratings of nutmeg, zest of orange, bay leaves and sliced vanilla pod
3. Pour enough wine and cider to cover the sugar and place over medium heat. Stir frequently until the mixture boils and thickens slightly (roughly 5 minutes)
4. Pour in the rest of the wine and cider and turn the heat down to low
5. Add the star anise and leave the mixture to heat through for about 10 minutes without boiling. Make sure to leave the spices and zest in the pan.
6. Ladle into glasses or mugs and garnish with slices of orange, nutmeg or cinnamon sticks before enjoying!
(This post is sponsored–but that doesn’t mean we aren’t into watching Girls and drinking wine!)