Gluhwein, Vin Chaud, Mulled Wine Recipe.

Red, Red Wine, You Make Me Feel So Fine.

pop quiz: the lyric above is from what song and artist? clue: originally by a ‘Diamond’, but then the unemployed made it a hit.

Every country has its own version of gluhwein and within every country there are good and bad recipes. From a concoction of cheap red wine, cinnamon and sugar to heady mixtures that include Grand Marnier or brandy and a selection of spices like vanilla, cloves and star anise – go easy on the fruit.

Gluhwein is at number nine in my Top 10 Vegetarian Meals available in Austrian Ski resorts. In most supermarkets these days, especially in the run up to Bonfire night and Christmas, you can usually find bottles of ‘heat and serve’ gluhwein, OK if you’re handing it out at a party, but if you are drinking it yourself…

Gluhwein Recipe

• 100ml Orange Juice
• 100ml Water
• 4tbsp Sugar
• 3 slices Orange
• 2 Cloves
• 2 Cardamom Pods
• 1 Star Anise
• A piece of Cinnamon Stick (about 4cm)
• A bottle of Red Wine, don’t go too cheap
• 100ml Grand Marnier

How to Make Gluhwein

1. Pour the orange juice and water into a pan with the sugar, orange and all the spices.
2. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for about 30mins.
3. Remove from the heat and add the red wine.
4. Cover and allow the spices to infuse the liquid whilst it cools – min 1 hour, can leave overnight.
5. Strain the mixture. Gently heat the stained liquid back up to just below boiling; taking care not to do it too quickly or too vigorously, you don’t want to boil off the alcohol!
6. Adjust sugar to taste. Just before serving, add the Grand Marnier.

Makes about 6 glasses: Serve in warmed glasses with a slice of fresh orange and feel the warm down to your toes.

pop trivia: “Red, red wine, you make me feel so fine” from ‘Red, Red Wine’ written by Neil Diamond and made a hit by UB40 in 1983.