Ah, is there anything that smells more Christmassy than mulled wine? This little sachet of aromatics is actually a very versatile ingredient..... but who cares? Make mulled wine!

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Now there is a good deal of snobbery around making mulled wine. Some complain that you are wasting good wine to make a different drink, well hello, Port? Brandy? Whiskey? even cider! These all start off as something else perfectly drinkable, so tell the detractors to get over themselves and lighten up!  However, at the other end of the spectrum there are those that say you should only use cheap red wine to make mulled wine. Well, let's be honest, putting spices into cheap and nasty wine isn't going to improve the quality of the wine, it is just going to mask the roughness of your chosen vintage. At the end of the day, you are going to drink this so don't be mean. Use a good Sunday evening in front of the fire quality full bodied red wine. A good Bordeaux, Corbieres, Cahors or Malbec will do.  Do not use the lighter reds, Beaujolais  or Pinot noir for example as they will be overpowered by the spices and you still want to taste the wine after all. So, where was I? Oh yes, wine snobbery and mulled wine, don't get drawn in! Lol.

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This the sort of recipe that can be done in advance and rewarmed or done on the stove quickly and easily when you feel like it. If you have a warming plate on top of a wood burner, that is the perfect place to warm your wine.

I feel some candles and music coming on, pass the Barry While album. 

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ok, focus.

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Empty the bottle of wine into a steel sauce pan. Add the sugar and the mulled wine spice bag. Warm gently on a very low/medium heat for 15 minutes until the sugar is dissolved and the wine is gently steaming. Do not let the wine bubble. At this stage if you want to enrich your mulled wine you can add orange juice or either brandy, whisky or port to suit your taste.

 

Allow the wine to cool slightly and remove the spice sachet before serving.

 DO NOT USE YOUR BEST GLASSES!

Just in case you serve it too hot and the glasses crack. As a test you need to be able to comfortable put your (clean!) finger in the wine.

 

Alternatives include Mulled Cider or non-alcoholic Mulled Apple juice

Also if you have some mulled wine left over (apparently it can happen!) Try something a little different. Return the wine to the pan and gently simmer it until it is reduced to a syrup. Let this cool down and use it to drizzle over ice cream, steamed sponge pudding, Christmas pudding or yogurt for breakfast with fresh fruit and granola. 

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As with all spice from the Suffolk Spice Company, play with them, experiment and let us know how you got on, we love new ideas.

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Above all else, relax and enjoy the experience,

you have earned it. Now about Barry White...

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Ingredients

a 75cl bottle of good quality red wine

Sugar to taste, I start with 1 tablespoon but you can add more as you go but remember you can add orange juice or Port which will add sweetness too, play with it.

1 Suffolk Spice Company Mulled Wine spice bag

Optional: Orange Juice, Brandy, Whisky or Port