Yule Mulled Wine

SoulElemental's Note:

A smooth rich Yule tradition: warm fruity spicy mulled red wine to warm the cockles of your heart. Sip you way through the heavenly wine & then enjoy eating the delicious fruity remnants (the best part in my opinion). Best served with flair & excess and shared with friends!

• Total Time: 27 hrs
• Prep Time: 24 hrs
• Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients:

Serves: 16-24

Yield: 16.0 glasses

2 - 3 750ml bottles of

• pinot noir, merlot, or pinot or cab sav (cheap or clear skins) red wine
• 2 oranges (fresh)
• 350 ml boysenberries (canned in juice is good)
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 2 whole star anise
• 1 cup brandy
• 1 cup dried sultana
• ½ cup water
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Night before: Place sultanas in a separate dish with good lid & cover with the brandy. Ensure there is room for the fruit to swell & expand. Cover and set aside in cool place.
2. 2 to 3 hours before serving: Place the soaked sultanas & all remaining juice, the water, brown sugar, & boysenberries including juice into the slow cooker.
3. Switch on the slow cooker to its lowest heat setting.
4. Add 1 of the bottles of wine.
5. Add the zest finely chopped or shredded from one of the oranges. Peel or chop off the remaining pith from the orange, chop the fruit flesh into smaller pieces & add to the slow cooker.
6. With the second orange cut off & discard the top & tail of the pith (as this is hard) then slice into quarters length wise. Thinly slice these quarters and add to the slow cooker.
7. Add the remaining wine and spices.
8. Stir gently and place the the lid on the cooker.
9. Monitor the temperate up to serving time - if necessary switch the heating OFF for short periods of time to ensure the wine holds to a warm but never hot (to touch) temperature.
10. Serve each glass with fruit in the bottom of the glass & a teaspoon to enjoy the delicious fruity end of this Yule Tide drink.
11. HINT: If you have left overs let then cool & store in an air tight container in the fridge over night - then check out my Mulled Wine Drop Scones recipe for morning snacks the next day - YUM!