When my family gets together for Thanksgiving, it is given that you are to bring something to pass or share as long as you live on your own and not a broke college student. —> Little sister, you are the exception for now! 🙂 So this year, I was on pie duty! A friend I work with made a bunch of pies and t0 sell. She said why would she make all the mess of making pies for only few pies. I agreed and I benefited from it. I bought 4 pies (2 pumpkin, 1 apple and 1 cherry) for our Thanksgiving dinner, Carl got 1 blueberry pie and his parents an apple pie.

I wanted to bring something else and I thought sangria sounded good. Carl crinkled his face and said isn’t that for summer. I told him I just saw sangria on Bobby Flay’s Thanksgiving special episode. (I had been watching the Food Network all morning) I decided how about Mulled Wine; I have never made it before and sounds good for the holidays.

I found two recipes; one from Ina Garten Mulled Wine and one from Williams Sonoma Mulled Wine, I combined the two. I used the measurements of Ina’s recipe minus the anise, we don’t like the black licorice taste. I used 14 Hands Cabernet Sauvignon which was good. I used the lemon from the Williams Sonoma recipe. I really like the cider spice taste of this wine. When I tested it on Sunday it was delicious and it was great even the days after. I added some brandy for a zip as well, I read that in the reviews.

We got to my parents house on Wednesday night so I could make my batch a head of time and it could sit over night. For some reason, it did not taste the same as it did when I first made it. I made it in bulk, 4 bottles of cheaper wine so that could have been it, I didn’t use as much apple cider because I didn’t want the wine watered down. I didn’t bring my brandy and my parents were out so I had to use bourbon instead. My family said it was good and they liked it; however, I was disappointed and Carl even said it tasted different. UGH! I will make it for the three christmas gatherings we have this next month but I will do it in single batches then combine and go for the better wine.

Learned my lesson-cheap wine isn’t always the best. 🙂 BUT mulled wine is awesome!

Holiday Cheers!

-Blondie!