Amayzine recently had a wine expert from Grapedistict over for a real wine course. Now I do know a bit about wine (mostly learned at the Hotel School) and I coolly mentioned that Syrah is the best wine to make mulled wine with. Well, the wine gentleman spat out his Amarone, because mulled wine is actually a kind of rape of wine. Oops.

I don't know exactly what it is, but a half glass of that warm Christmas wine goes straight to my head. A great start to a Christmas evening and maybe also handy to break the ice a bit. Mulled wine is a sweet drink, so I do have to step away from my healthy beliefs for a moment, but you know me: the next day follows an extra hearty Christmas walk.

This is what you need and how to make it (approximately for 8 people):

½ liter of water

1 cinnamon stick

6 cloves

1 bottle (nice) red wine

1 tbsp dark brown sugar

1 lemon

1 orange

Slice the lemon. Cut the orange in half and slice one half. Squeeze the other half, but keep the peel and set the juice aside. Take a large pot and pour in the bottle of wine, along with all the other ingredients (including the squeezed peel of the orange). Set the heat to medium and let it warm up gently. It can boil for a moment, but then lower the heat and let it simmer for half an hour. Then turn off the heat and let it rest for another 10 minutes with the lid on the pot. This last step is not necessary, but I personally don't like it too hot and this way the flavors can infuse well into the wine. Take a ladle and serve the drink in small glasses. You can also strain the wine, but I always find the spices in it a nice sight.

Cheers!