Vin chaud is the French term for a fragrant and spiced mulled wine drink, similar to Swedish glögg and German glühwein. It’s simple to prepare, and the recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to serve a crowd. Be sure to choose a young and fruity red wine like VinBon Zinfandel for the best results. Avoid dry, acidic wines or older wines matured in oak, as they may have heavy tannins that will be bitter when heated.
Ingredients
- 1 navel orange
- 1 (750 ml) bottle red wine
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 5 whole cloves
- 4 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
- 2 cardamon pods
- 1/4 cup cognac
Instructions
- Cut a strip of skin from the orange, approximately 1 x 5 inches in size. Carefully remove as much of the white pith from the zest as you can, since it will add bitterness to the wine. Set orange aside for another use.
- Combine wine, sugar, cloves, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, and peeled orange zest in a large saucepan over very low heat.
- Heat wine until it nearly reaches a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Do not allow the wine to come to a boil, or the alcohol will evaporate and the flavor of the Vin Chaud will be affected. The wine will be at its optimal temperature when the sugar has dissolved and steam rises when the mixing spoon is lifted from the wine.
- Maintain this temperature to keep the wine warm and let the wine steep with the spices to develop flavor and strength to your taste. The longer it steeps, the stronger the flavor.
- Strain the wine through a fine-mesh into the clean pot and discard the spices.
- Cover the pot and let Vin Chaud stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
- Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of cognac to a warmed mug or heatproof glass and then ladle in the mulled wine.
- Serve and enjoy
