Christmas recipes: Easy recipe to make mulled wine at home

Neil, director of leading organic wine retailer, Vintage Roots, said: “Mulled wine is usually made with either a fruity red wine or port, as these give the mulled wine a sweeter, more enjoyable flavour.

"The good news is that there’s no need to spend a lot of money, cheaper wine is often the best option. When you heat the wine, some of the flavour compounds are destroyed (which is why it’s recommended that wine is stored out of the heat and direct sunlight). The mulling spices used are also very strong, so they can drown out the subtler flavours of the wine.

"You want a simple wine with bold flavours that will complement the mulled wine spices and one that isn’t too pricey. You also want something that is smooth, without too many tannins as tannins turn bitter during the heating process.”

Ingredients: 1 bottle of red wine, 1 orange, 2 cups of water, ½ cup of sugar, Ground cloves, Cinnamon.

Preparation: To begin, open the bottle of wine and pour it into a pot. Place the pot on medium heat. Pour the water into the mixture, and let it begin to heat.

Add in the sugar once you see the heat rising from the wine, and stir well to let it absorb into the wine. Grate a bit of the zest from the orange, and add it to the mixture. Slice the orange into thin pieces, and add them into the pot with 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon (or a couple of cinnamon sticks) and 1 teaspoon of cloves (either ground or whole).

Let the mixture heat for 10 to 15 minutes, but don’t let it boil. Let the wine sit for half an hour, covered with a lid to keep the heat trapped inside. Once 30 minutes have passed, return the wine to the stove and reheat. When it reaches your preferred temperature, serve and enjoy.

Visit www.vintageroots.co.uk/wine-guides/how-to-make-mulled-wine-at-home/

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