High Spirits

Spice up that wine

Go beyond the regular tipple, try out some homemade mulled wine, suggests Arun Batra

'Mulled' simply means heated with spices - now who would think of heating wine? After all, don't we hear wine pundits preach about heat and wine not being good bedfellows? You would be surprised! The addition of various spices blends in with the warmth of the wine to produce a welcoming beverage. Known as Glühwein in Germany, Vin Chaud in France and Vin Brule in northern Italy, mulled wine is a common drink across regions of Europe.

While red wine is the most traditional ingredient of this spiced winter warmer, you can also use white wine or cranberry juice - all of these beverages take very nicely to mulling. The primary spice combinations for mulled wine almost always include cinnamon sticks and whole cloves, often with a garnish of nutmeg.

Our Indian palate is accustomed to these spices and wherever I have seen mulled wine served, the host's supplies have usually been cleaned out! The more esoteric recipes include mace, star anise, allspice, cardamom, ginger, peppercorn and bay leaves.

Now there are as many recipes for mulled wine as there are brands of wine available at the wine shops. So let us keep it simple. A quick method would be to boil 100 grams of brown sugar, 4 cloves, a cinnamon stick and a thinly sliced lemon in 200 grams of water. Allow the mixture to stand for 10 minutes before adding a bottle of red wine and then let it simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes - this will allow the flavour of the spices to infuse into the wine. Strain into a heated bowl, add slices of orange and serve it hot.

My recipe for mulled wine always includes sugar - brown if possible. The sugar tends to balance out the sharper tastes of the spices and promote the fruitiness of the wine.

Whilst preparing your mulled wine keep a couple of tips in mind: Use whole spices rather than ground ones to avoid making the drink cloudy and gritty whilst at the same time infusing the wine with the flavour of the spices.

Do not let the wine boil: this can cause spices to turn bitter - if you see white steam, that's the alcohol boiling off-which is also not what you want!. Remember to insert a spoon in each glass before pouring, lest you crack the glasses. Always use a stainless steel or nonstick coated pot to mull the wine in. The acids in the wine can react with an aluminum pot and give the final product a metallic taste. And to add a little kick to the recipe, try adding one-fourth cup of brandy with the wine.

And finally to the main question -what wine should you use for your mulled wine? As a rule of thumb, the wine you choose should have plenty of fruity taste and a good structure, as this will stand up to and balance the spice flavours. The softer tones of a Merlot or a Shiraz would be my choice as far as red wines are concerned - the overpowering tannins in a pure Cabernet Sauvignon just do not blend in well with the spices.