If you are reading this column, there is a good chance wine will be part of your Christmas/holiday celebration. Observations:
• The big meal is a hectic time. Likely lots of food, also lots of commotion and distractions. Don’t waste your best wine on this event. Save your best for when it can be calmly appreciated and more of a focus of the meal.
• Don’t pour bottom-shelf, cheapest-you-can-find wine at the event either. There is plenty of good wine in the $12-25 range. If the party is large, open an assortment so the malbec maven, the pinot princess, the white zin aficionado, and the bubbly booster can enjoy what they enjoy.
• Consider port or sherry as part of the event. Great end-of-the-day, mellow-out sipper. Also goes with Christmas sweets.
• Go nostalgic—and this works well if there are drop-in visitors. Mulled wine. At its simplest, mulled wine is red wine combined with spices and sugar/honey, served warm.
Like its summer counterpart sangria, marinating various ingredients is the secret: 24 hours-plus for sangria, five-plus hours for mulled wine. Both are ideal for making early so you can concentrate on everything else. Bonus: mulled wine adds splendid holiday aromas.
Recipe:
• 1 cup unfiltered apple juice
• 1/4 cup pulpy orange juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 2/3 cup of brown sugar (or honey)
• 1 Granny Smith apple, cored, thinly sliced, cut into bite-size pieces
• Zest of one orange
• Orange, sectioned, cut into bite-size pieces
• One 750 ml bottle red wine (cab, merlot, zin, malbec)
• 1/2 cup of brandy or cognac
Put ginger, allspice, cloves in cheesecloth bag. Put ingredients except brandy/cognac in a crock pot. Heat five or more hours; the longer you heat, the more the flavors marinate and the better it tastes and smells.
Add brandy when ready to serve.
Double to serve more. A second apple is optional.
Ladle into mugs with orange/apple slices per mug.
Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays.
Tasting notes:
• Bodega Aniello 006 Malbec, Alto Valle del Rio Negro, Patagonia, Argentina 2020: Less fruity than Mendoza malbecs; delivers easy drinkability, comfortable tannins, impressive length. $15 Link to my review
• Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley 2019: Approaches jammy, but acidity and balance keeps things in check. Rich and full. $22-25 Link to my review
• W. & J. Graham’s Six Grapes Reserve Porto: Lush, jammy, plum and chocolate delight. Acidity balances ripe, dark fruit sweetness. Velvety richness masks high alcohol. $25 https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/w-j-grahams-six-grapes-reserve-porto-3/#more-17740
Last round: What do you call a Christmas wreath made out of $100 bills? Aretha Franklins. Wine time.