Mulled wine, which has been enjoyed for thousands of years, is the perfect drink for a chilly winter evening spent with good friends and family. History’s first references to mulled wine are prescriptions for its medicinal properties from the physician Hippocrates in ancient Greece. In later times, wine as medication fell from favor, but the popularity of mulled wine as a festive winter drink has lived on in colder climates. Mulled means “heated and spiced,” and there are numerous recipes and variations.
I grew up drinking mulled wine (Vin Brulé means burnt wine in Italian) made from my Nona’s (grandmother’s) recipe, which includes our family Zinfandel wine 
and plenty of secret ingredients. One key ingredient, cloves, gives the wine spice and perfume.
Here is a simple recipe you can enjoy while sitting in front of a bustling fire trying to warm up on a winter night.
M! Feb/Mar 2012
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