Warm Mulled Red Wine

A glass of warm mulled wine, to me, is the Christmas spirit in a nutshell.  Every time I drink it during winter, I feel like I'm on holiday!  

mulling spices:  star anise, clove, nutmeg, ginger, brown sugar, lemon grass, black pepper, vanilla bean

This is basically my goal in life:  To trick myself into thinking I'm on vacation every day.  A glass of this wine certainly does the trick!

Warm Red Mulled Wine

One bottle full-bodied red wine (e.g. Shiraz/Cabernet)
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 inch square fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
3 inch section lemon grass, halved
5 whole cloves
1 large star anise
1/2 vanilla bean pod, halved
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/4 of one whole nutmeg

Place all ingredients in a small pot on the stove top over medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.  Heat for 20 minutes on low.  Strain and serve warm with a cinnamon stick in each glass, if desired.

*You may have trouble finding whole star anise at your market, as well as whole nutmeg.  Many markets do carry "mulling spices" in a packet, however.  While I would much rather consume mulled wine with the recipe I've listed here than with generic mulling spices, I do find it handy to have mulling spices on hand so I can borrow star anise and nutmeg chunks from it if need be.

Enjoy!