Mulled wine is easy to make, delicious to drink and, best of all, I love how it makes my house smell like Christmas!

Listen to me explain briefly about how to make this mulled wine, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:

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Scale

2 small oranges (clementine or tangerine)
2 (750ml) bottles of full bodied red wine (I usually use a basic merlot. It doesn’t have to be an expensive wine. In fact, I use one of those big cheap double-bottles.)
2 cinnamon sticks (plus more for garnish, optional)
2 Tbsp. whole allspice berries
2 Tbsp. whole cloves
10–15 whole peppercorns
3/4 to 1 and 1/2 cups brown sugar
a few glugs of brandy/cognac or orange liquor (optional)

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Use a paring knife to poke 8 or so holes into each orange. Put them into a large pot and then add everything else except for the brown sugar and brandy.
Bring the pot just up to a boil over medium-high heat. Immediately reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add 3/4 cups of the brown sugar. Stir to dissolve. Taste. If you want it sweeter, add more brown sugar.
Put a fine mesh sieve over a big bowl. Pour the mulled wine through the sieve.
If you’re serving it immediately, rinse out your pot (just so there aren’t any spice bits left clinging to the edges) and pour the wine back in. Put it over medium-low heat just until it is really warm again. Turn off heat and add the brandy/orange liqueur, if using. Ladle into mugs and garnish each with a cinnamon stick.
If you’re not serving it immediately, let it cool a bit after straining and then use a funnel to pour it back into the original wine bottles. Push the corks in as far as you can and store them at room temperature for up to 4 days. To re-heat, pour the mulled wine into a large pot, warm it up and add the brandy, if using.

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