MULLED WINE...

I love mulled red wine: the comforting smells of orange and cinnamon, the bite of the cloves, the warming glow with which it takes the cold away.Given that, I really don't know why I only ever make it when the nights really draw in. I don't have it in the spring or the autumn. Only in the winter does it really come into its own. Make sure you choose a good red wine, something rich and spicy. My favourite choice is Cabernet Sauvignon, with a good Malbec or Cab/Merlot a close second.

You may not always find this in other recipes, but I like a base of strong black tea for my mulled wine. I find it gives a deeper flavour to the finished product. English Breakfast tea or Kenya tea make a good, full-flavoured base, but you can use any black tea that you like.

Try Earl Grey or Lady Grey tea when you're in the mood to experiment. The bergamot flavouring of the tea will come through in the mulled wine and the effect can be quite unusual. To my mind and tastebuds Green teas don't make such a good base for mulled wine, but judge that for yourself. It's always difficult to judge how many people a mixture will 'feed'! It depends very much on whom you've invited and how large the cups or glasses are that you serve the wine in. The recipe below makes just under 2 litres, but it's easily multiplied for a larger crowd.

Ingredients

* 3 tbsp loose-leaf tea (or six teabags)
* 1 litre of boiling water
* 1 whole orange
* 2-3 cloves
* 1 stick of cinnamon
* 1 bottle of red wine
* sugar to taste
* lemon slices to serve

Preparation

The most important thing to remember about mulled wine is that it must not boil! Otherwise you lose all the warming effects of the wine and most of the flavour.

The second most important thing is not to use an aluminium pan. There are fewer and fewer of them around anyway. Go for stainless steel or something non-stick.

Cut the orange in thick slices and place in the pan. Add the cinnamon stick, cloves and tea.

Add the water and bring to the boil. You want the spiced tea to be very strong. Strong enough, at any rate, to make your mouth feel furry.

When it's at that stage, turn the heat down and add the wine. Stir and add sugar to taste. Just heat it enough for the sugar to dissolve.

Serve with sliced lemon and mince pies.