Christmas in Derby - Step 2: Making mulled wine

There's a better way to have the wonderful aromas of Christmas wafting throughout your home than a store-bought plug-in - making mulled wine!

The experience is so rewarding - the wonderful smells, the cosiness and of course the tasting!

In our experience we find that it really depends on your preference for what you add into mulled wine, but a good base includes:

• 1.5cl of red wine (a good Merlot or Chianti will suffice);
• one or two cinnamon sticks, broken in half;
• 100-200g of caster sugar (dependent on your sweet tooth!);
• An orange, lime, or lemon, cut up and excluding skin and pith;
• a teaspoon of cloves.

To kick it up a notch, you could try adding a couple  (but perhaps not all) of the following:

• a vanilla pod, sliced down the middle and seeds scraped out;
• one or two star anise;
• a teaspoon of all spice;
• 100g black forest fruits - fresh or frozen;
• a couple of red apples, cut into rings;
• a teaspoon of ground nutmeg.

Simply add all the ingredients to a pan and simmer on a low to medium heat for no more than 20 minutes - stirring now and then.

Or if you’d rather enjoy a festive tipple at one of Derby’s many pubs or bars, take your pick from these watering holes in Derby.

Baby, it's cold outside!