Warm Up

When winter weather swirls in, nothing could be cozier than a toasty mug of mulled wine. Mulled wine, the vine’s version of a classic hot toddy, is a traditional treat in many Old World countries and has been warming people for centuries. These are wines that have been sweetened, spiced and slightly heated - offering a delightful alternative to traditional coffees, ciders and toddy’s on a cold winter's night. Mulled wine is one of my favorite winter drinks because it is hot, sweet and possesses a very special power – it makes you beautifully warm inside.

Pick Your Potion
While red wine and apple cider are the most traditional of the spiced winter warmers, you can also use white wine, hard cider or ale. The primary spice combinations for mulled wine almost always include cinnamon sticks and whole cloves. Nutmeg, star anise, allspice berries, cardamom pods, slices of fresh ginger, orange slices and lemon zest are also good additions. The trick to infusing the wine without making it cloudy and gritty is to use whole spices rather than ground versions.

Mix it Up
The mixture should be brought to a very gentle simmer over low heat and should not be boiled – that would cause the spices to turn bitter and make the alcohol evaporate. And, gee, that is the last thing in the world we want, right? To really allow the flavors of the spices to infuse into the wine, allow the mixture to simmer on the stovetop for at least half an hour.

Mulled Wine Recipe
1 bottle of dry red wine (Merlot can stand up to heat and the zing of spices)
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cinnamon sticks (plus additional sticks for garnish)
3 whole cloves
1 star anise
1 Tablespoon honey

Pour wine into top of a double boiler and warm over medium heat. Add remaining ingredients and stir until honey dissolves. Reduce hear, cover, and simmer gently, stirring occasionally. Ladle into mugs and serve, garnished with an orange slice or cinnamon stick.

Come in from the cold to the warm aroma of mulled wine. It’s simple, fragrant and beyond delicious. If you’ve never tried it before, you definitely need to. It’ll make you happy on a cold night!

A New Year's Toast

If your New Year's resolutions include: eating better, exercising more and getting healthy. The next time you raise a glass of wine to toast a friend's health, you may be doing more than expressing goodwill. For some of the same reasons "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" a glass of wine a day may set you on your way to wellness.

I'll Drink to That
Now is a great time to enjoy the pleasures of wine, especially since science is discovering the potentially powerful health benefits of drinking the fruit of the vine. A great number of studies have been done to determine the therapeutic and disease-fighting powers of wine, both red and white. When it comes to protecting the heart, red—not white—wine has always been the hero. We've all heard that red wine is good for us, but how good it is depends on who you are and how much and how often you drink it.

A Votre Sante (To Your Health)
When it comes to health, all alcoholic beverages are not created equal. While all may have the power to relax us, only red wine contains a lot of polyphenols, heart-friendly antioxidants that help inhibit plaque buildup in the arteries. Studies suggest that the polyphenols, or tannins, which derived from grape skins and seeds giving red wine its color also act as protectors against cell damage caused by nasty molecules called free radicals, produced by sun, pollution and cigarette smoke; all believed to be culprits in the aging process. Wine, however, is not the only source of polyphenols: they are also abundant in a wide variety of foods, including tea, chocolate and many fruits and vegetables.

The Art of Living Well
Wine has played an integral role in everyday life, religious ceremonies, celebratory events and the enjoyment of meals by societies throughout history and continues to do so. While some of the recent studies concerning wine and health are more conclusive than others, many of them offers a good reason to make wine part of your daily life.