Vin Chaud

I have been excited to share this with someone, anyone, who will find it as wonderful as Gina and I have.
We've found a place for your "2 Buck Chuck," your disappointing leftover bottles from that case of wine you bought on your wine tour and the "not so great" wine someone bought you as a gift. It belongs in a pot with a list of delicious ingredients that will turn into what the French call Vin Chaud (mulled wine).


This sign of ingredients is from the booth Gina and I bought our first delicious cup and it translates into:

-Red Wine
-Whiskey (or if you can't find it, Cognac)
-Maple Syrup
-Orange Juice
-Apple Juice
-Honey
-Pinch of Cinnamon
-Whole Clove (we added a few even though it wasn't on the sign)

I don't know ratios but I can say the amount of honey and maple syrup depends on how bitter your apple and orange juices (about 1 cup apple juice and juice of one orange with rind) are and the amount of cinnamon sticks depends on how strong they are (we put 2-3 per bottle). We also put in about 1/2-3/4 cup Cognac per bottle. YUM.

We reduced the apple juice a little in a pot and then added everything to it and let it simmer about 10 minutes before tinkering with the sweetness. We also put whole pieces of both apple and orange to imitate a Sangria.
It's best if you let the flavors get warm together for at least 30 minutes.

After buying graham cookies on a whim we discovered they were a nice pairing for such a warm, deliciously spiced wine! Perfect for a holiday party. Oh my, and you could even make fresh, chewy, molasses cookies to enjoy with it...yes, I think I'll do that soon.

We hope you love it as much as we do! Tis the season for Vin Chaud!