It is a staple of cheesy fantasy novels: spiced wine. Or sometimes even hot spiced wine. So, uh… what do they mean? It always sounded intriguing but I am not gonna just go throw some garlic in a glass of wine or something…
(yes, the garlic thing was a joke. But really… what kind of spices might they mean?)
I always assumed it was stuff like nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon.
Mulled wine. Tastes wonderful. Use something cheap as a base, like Gallo Hearty Burgundy.
Yea, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, dried fruit, etc.
If you’ve ever mulled apple cider, the mulling ingredients are the same for wine. Red wine is preferred. I used Three Thieves Cab Sauv for mine.
I made some this fall that turned out OK.
The most important thing is not to boil the wine. At all. You want in to gently, gently, gently simmer.
Oh, and honey. I know you said you like sweet stuff in another thread.
I ended up adding more honey than the recipe I used called for when I made it. I found the wine too bitter for me without it once heated.
Spiced wine? Oh, yes! Every few years, the hubby and I visit Williamsburg, VA. While there, we always go to the winery, and obtain a fair amount of their Settler’s Spiced wine. Just delicious warm or room temperature; not bad a little bit chilled. It’s my ultimate winter wine.
Try some glühwein sometime on a cold winter’s evening. It’ll keep you warm.
Cool thanks!! I think I might be experimenting in the next week or two!
Mulled wine, heavy on the cinnamon and light on the cloves. Off with you, me lad, and be lively!
I hear, in the day, black pepper was used as a muller.
If you’re feeling lazy, just to your local Ikea and pick up a bottle of gløgg. If I recall, the instructions suggest diluting the stuff with wine or vodka, and serving warm.
If you’re mulling a lot of wine, take an orange and spike it all over with cloves, then warm the wine with that in it. And cinnamon etc.
Hey look, mister, we serve hard drinks in here for men who want to get drunk fast. And we don’t need any characters around to give the joint atmosphere. Is that clear?
You do realise who you’re talking to, don’t you? Alan Smithee
Who you calling lad ?
(Yeah I realize you probably weren’t specifically addressing me, but I so rarely get to indignantly defend my gender anymore…)
Yowza! Hi Opal!!!
I personally like Wassail, like the one offered by Boordy Vineyards. It’s a local Maryland wine though, so it might not be available everywhere and you would have to find something comparable. If you like sweet wines, add some fruit as you heat it.
Opal! What does it say that you don’t remember my feeding some to you at the house a few years ago? I’m cheesily hurt!
I get mine from up in Pennsylvania.
It says I probably didn’t know what it was at the time?
I love wassail. My mom makes it every year for her big Christmas party… the funny thing is, she has never tried it–she thinks the whole idea is gross. But everyone else likes it so she makes it (from scratch) every year. So I grew up on it.
So is spiced wine basically like wassail made with wine instead of apple cider?