Crockpot Cooking: Spiced Wine Hot or Cold

Depending where you are from spiced wine maybe referred to as mulled wine and is often served during the holidays in the fall and winter only. However, Crockpot Cooking: Spiced Wine Hot or Cold will explore a variety of recipes including one that allows guests to enjoy this wonderful beverage in the summer months, as well.

Just imagine it’s summertime and you are under a tree in a hammock with a cool breeze blowing, and a great looking waiter/waitress comes by to serve you a nice beverage while music is playing in the background. Now that the mood has been established, sit back, and have a little red, red wine (online of course) while you are reading this hub...

The base ingredient for spiced wine is red wine however; the spice and flavors can be completely different throughout the world. In Germany it is called Glühwein and is usually prepared from red wine, heated and spiced with citrus, cinnamon sticks, cloves, sugar, and vanilla pods. Glühwein can be served alone or mixed with rum or liqueur and then termed mit Schuss. The French call it vin chaud which means “hot wine.”

The Republic of Moldova the name is izvar and it is made with black pepper and honey. In Romania the base ingredient can be red or white wine, sometimes it peppercorns are added and it is called boiled wine or vin fiert. I believe the British call it mulled wine preferring to use port or claret wine and the spices are usually cinnamon or mace, cloves, grated nutmeg. So as one can see spiced wine is enjoyed throughout the world.

Wine loving people in the Mediterranean region, where wine has been enjoyed for centuries, suffer 2/3 less heart attacks that Americans do. A study of 2700 people performed in 2009 revealed that the men who had one to two drinks of wine a day had 4 percent more bone density; and women gained 5 to 8 percent bone density.

Wine can improve digestion; helps one to relax, and is a rich source of antioxidants. Red wine contains iron that assists oxygen transport in the body, and contains polyphenols that protect cell membranes and is anti-inflammatory.

Resveratrol, found in grape skins and seeds, increases HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) prevents blood clotting, and reduces blood vessel damage caused by fat deposits. Resveratrol has been shown to inhibit growth of tumors in animals, and inhibit growth of cancer cells in lab cultures. However, one must drink in moderation in order to receive the health benefits. Most doctors generally will suggest one glass a day for women and two glasses for men.

Some people it seems are never bothered by the temperatures outside and can drink hot beverages any time of the year. Until a few years ago you would never see me drinking anything hot in the summer because it makes one sweat more than drinking something cool. Then I learned the great benefits of black tea and have been drinking hot beverages ever since.

There is an old wives’ tale that states, “An individual should drink hot drinks in the summer to cool off.” My research finding is that taking in account the laws of thermodynamics, a hot drink will make you sweat more and increase the cooling of your body. Nonetheless, the amount of extra cooling will not be enough to offset the “heating-up caused from drinking the hot beverage in the first place. Nevertheless, several of my readers and I agree that drinking hot liquids will eventually make an individual feel cooler based on our personally experiences.

2 bottles medium bodied red wine (750 ml bottle ea)

2 to 3 oranges (can apples or lemons instead)

3 whole cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

½ cup sugar

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 cup Armagnac, brandy or cognac (optional)

Instructions - Combine all ingredients in a 3 to 5 quart crockpot slow cooker and stir well.  Cover and cook on high for 1 to 2 hours or on low for 4 to 5 hours. 

Serving Hot:

 Once the spiced wine has finished cooking; let the spices and wine blend for at least 5 minutes prior to serving hot. 

Serving Cold:

Let spiced wine mixture cool prior to pouring into a carafe then refrigerate, or chill in an ice bucket.  Slice more oranges or a different fruit for garnish if you like, and serve cold.

A personal experience: Two years ago my sister’s cholesterol was really high and she was instructed by her doctor to drink a glass a red wine daily along with a drug previously prescribed. Within a year her cholesterol dropped from being extremely high to normal, she is now taking on half of the prescribed drug, and looking forward to the day that it is no longer needed. Although my cholesterol has never been high, I consulted with my doctor and got the go ahead to drink a glass of wine daily as well because high cholesterol can be hereditary.

In the past I would have had an occasional drink for the holidays only; but, for the benefits stated above, I have been drinking about 4 to 6 ounces of wine almost daily. If you are on medications then you must consult with a physician before drinking wine even in moderation. This concludes Crockpot Cooking: Spiced Wine Hot or Cold; and I hope you are now convinced that this wonderful beverage can now be served both hot and cold. Here is the final link to more Crock Pot Beverage Recipes that your family and friends can enjoy.

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