Mulled Wine — The Warmth You Sit With Before the World Starts Back Up

Winter. Winter quiet, journal writing on Sunday mornings, chicken fricassee. The cold months in Louisiana, which are not truly cold by any northern standard but which feel cold to a people who consider sixty degrees a personal affront. The sweaters come out. The gumbo goes on. The comfort food fills the house with the smell of the stove at work, and the stove at work is the heart of the house beating, and the beating is steady, and the steady is the grace.

This is the quiet part of the year, the pause between the holidays and the crawfish, the inhale before the exhale, the resting note in the song. And the resting is necessary because the singing is coming — March and the crawfish and the azaleas and the pit firing up and the neighborhood gathering and the whole loud, beautiful, cayenne-scented life roaring back to full volume. Rest now. Cook now. The roar is coming.

That resting note in the song — that’s where this recipe lives. When the gumbo pot has had its day and the journal is closed and the Sunday is settling into itself, a mug of mulled wine is the thing I reach for: slow to make, slower to drink, the whole house smelling of cinnamon and orange peel and something almost ceremonial. It doesn’t ask anything of you. It just warms the room and says, stay a little longer. That’s exactly what winter in Louisiana is supposed to feel like before March comes roaring in.

Mulled Wine

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 bottle (750ml) dry red wine (such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot)
• 1 cup apple cider or apple juice
• 1/4 cup brandy (optional)
• 3 tablespoons honey or sugar, plus more to taste
• 1 orange, thinly sliced into rounds
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 4 whole cloves
• 3 star anise
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 vanilla bean, split (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)

Instructions

1. Combine. In a medium saucepan, add the wine, apple cider, brandy (if using), honey, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, nutmeg, and vanilla bean.
2. Warm gently. Heat over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is steaming but not boiling — about 10 to 15 minutes. Do not let it boil, which can cook off the alcohol and dull the flavor.
3. Simmer. Reduce heat to low and let the wine simmer very gently for an additional 10 minutes so the spices can fully infuse. Taste and adjust sweetness with more honey as needed.
4. Strain and serve. Use a fine mesh strainer or ladle directly into mugs, leaving the solids behind. Garnish each mug with a fresh orange slice and a cinnamon stick if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 175 | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Carbs: 18g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 10mg