Ingredients:
1 750-ml bottle of fruit forward red wine (ex.merlot, tempranillo, syrah)
*this year we will feature a NJ winery
1 orange, skin washed well and dried with a paper towel
1 lemon, skin washed well and dried with a paper towel
3 cinnamon sticks
3 cloves
3 star anise pods
1 green coriander seed pod
1 inch thick slice of ginger, peeled
1 oz sugar
2 oz of brandy or cognac (German brandy Asbach Uralt, if you can find it)
Preparation:
Pour the wine into a large soup pot. Halve the cleaned orange and lemon and add to the wine. Add the spices, ginger and sugar to the wine. Over medium heat, bring the wine to about 190 degrees F – just when it starts to simmer. Add the brandy and take the pot off the heat. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes. Strain through a sieve and enjoy warm with a cinnamon stick in a footed glass mug.