Mulled Red Wine With Rosemary

Chilly weather means warm drinks and mulled wines are a classic.  Serve at holidays dinners or after a day on the snowy mountain.  Explore different spices, wines and flavorings.  Add in apple slices or star anise–the only rule is don’t boil the wine–unless you want the alcohol to evaporate.

Servings: 4 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• 1 bottle dry red wine Merlot, Cab or Syrah are good choices

• 1 quart black tea Assam or Darjeeling

• 3 whole cloves

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 4 whole anise (optional - leave this out if you don’t love the licorice/anise flavor)

• pinch nutmeg

• 3 sprigs rosemary

• 1 orange thinly sliced

• honey to taste

Instructions

In large saucepan, heat wine and tea over low heat. Add in spices, orange and rosemary. Let wine simmer, covered, but do not boil. Taste and add in honey if desired. Ladle wine into mugs and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Healing properties: Warming and invigorating

Energetics: Red wine warms, nourishes and builds the Blood and enters the Heart. Cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon aid digestion, warm the center and relieve pain.  Rosemary, stimulates, aids digestion and invigorates the Qi.  Orange peel astringes and cuts phlegm. Black tea is astringing and Qi circulating

Primary season: Winter