"Brew me a cup for a winter's night
For the wind howls loud, and the furies fight.
Spice it with love and stir it with care
And I'll toast your bright eyes, my sweetheart fair."
_ Minna Thomas Antrim
In winter we recognize nature's power over us and our need for sustenance against it _ a warm sweater, a blazing fire, a hot drink _ whether we're in icy Minnesota or balmy Miami.
We need the warming wines of winter, for which there are many recipes:
_ Mulled red wine: sturdy reds heated with honey, orange peel and such "mulling spices" as cinnamon, orange, cloves, star anise, cardamom.
_ Mulled white wine: aromatic whites warmed with Poire William, the pear brandy, and those spices.
_ Hot spiced wine: wine of either hue heated with Kirsch, the cherry brandy, and spice. Or simmered with sugar, cider and grape brandy. Or scotch and ginger.
In Germany there's gluwein; in Romania, vin fiert; in Russia, Glintwein _ all pretty much the same.
What, then, are the proper wines for such loving libations, you ask between chattering teeth. They can be such potent reds as cabernet sauvignon, zinfandel, syrah or malbec. Or such scented whites as riesling, gewurztraminer, chenin blanc. Roses? Why not? Whatever warms your wattles. Bubbly? No point; the bubbles would bubble away.
The wines needn't be expensive; their subtler qualities will be buried under the barrage of ingredients and boiled away by the heat.
They can be heated gently in a pan over a low flame, never boiled to lose their alcohol. Serve them in mugs, not fancy champagne flutes. Leave in a peel of orange, a stick of cinnamon. Be careful not to swallow such wayward objects as cloves or star anise.
Now cuddle up with a friend, and sip a cup of warm kindness. Enjoy the winter.
