This is an article I wrote 2 yrs. ago.

Enjoy!

It's well below freezing outside, and winter is here. You're turning your thoughts to the upcoming holiday season. Now, more than any other time of the year, we get together with friends and family to enjoy that rare time of togetherness.

Want something different to serve your guests? Try a steamy mug of a classic drink called mulled wine. It will quickly warm their insides from the wind outside as they settle down for an evening of parties, games, family dinners or just a romantic evening for two near a roaring fire.

The term "mulled" means spiced and heated. Mulled wines have been around since medieval times and were called "yprocas" or "hippocras," named after the legendary physician Hippocrates. These heated drinks were thought to be healthier and more sanitary than water and most likely kept people alive through the long winter cold.

Throughout centuries this warm concoction has spread universally around the globe and taken on many forms. The most common would be the chilled drink known as sangria, which has Spanish roots.

Mulled wine has long been associated with the holiday season. As the sweet aroma of orange, lemon, clove and cinnamon slowly rises from a pot on the stove, it carries a warm blanket of comfort as it drifts throughout your home.

The wonderful thing about creating this delectable elixir is it's quick and easy. You probably have most of the ingredients in your kitchen. Don't be limited to this recipe; you can be as creative as you want with the spices you have. If you opened a cabernet or zinfandel three days ago and you think it may be past its prime, don't dump it. Use it for your new holiday drink and impress everyone.

Here is an easy recipe.

Mulled wine

• 1 orange

• 1 lemon

• 1 750-milliliter bottle of full-bodied red wine (any basic red wine will do)

• 1 cup of ruby port wine

• 10 whole cloves

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• ½ cup of brown sugar

• ½ cup of brandy

• ½ cup triple sec

• 1 cup water

» Take a large pot and combine water, brown sugar, cloves, cinnamon sticks and fruit. Heat until brown sugar is dissolved. Add brandy and triple sec and continue warming for 3 minutes. Add red wine and ruby port wine and continue heating until hot. Do not bring to a boil. Boiling will deteriorate the wine/spice combination. Before serving, scoop out cloves, cinnamon sticks and fruit, then pour into 8-ounce mugs.