Hot Wine

My friend Amy is having a baby today, so this posting is in honor of her =).

Anyone who knows Amy knows also of her fondness for (red) wine. Amy's also a true southerner, born and bred in Macon, Georgia, so she has her own special vernacular out of which "hot wine" was born (you have to say it with the southern accent to get the full effect). We don't have the harshest of winters here in Atlanta, but when the temperature does drop and it's preferable to have a warm drink in your hands instead of the usual beer and "on the rocks" drinks, we break out the crock pot and whip up a batch of hot, mulled wine. I first started making this a few years ago after it was introduced to me by a regular at the bar I was working at, and it's been requested every winter since.

One of the best things about "hot wine" is that it's best to use cheap wine - you're going to be heating in a crock pot so it's a waste of money to use the good stuff. I use the jugs of table wine or Two Buck Chuck (thank you Trader Joe's), and just toss it into the crock pot with mulling spices and let it go. I start it on high until it's good and hot, then switch it to low or warm setting for the duration.

In the fall and winter, you can find mulling spices pretty easily, usually near where the tea and coffee is sold. It's sold both loose and in tea bags, but I like the way it looks loose, or with the smaller ingredients in a tea ball. If I can't find the pre-mixed spices, I mix together a palm-full of the following key ingredients, or flavors

• Whole allspice
• Whole cloves
• Cinnamon sticks
• Lemon and/or orange rind (optional)

I use about 2-3 tea bags or one palm-full of spices per 750mL bottle.

Your nose will let you know when it's ready, then just ladle it into cups or mugs and enjoy!