Brings back the memory of Christmas past, Warm, spicy and sweet,  flavors of this easy to make mulled wine.

The nights are drawing in. The air is getting crisp. Winter will soon be upon us, and as the cold weather begins, many of us start to think of  delicious spicy mulled wine.

My Childhood memory of mulled  wine is attending the Christmas service at church. The church had no electricity, so the service was lit by candles held by the congregation, who were swaddled up in scarves and hats. Young men who maybe never attended church from one year’s end to the next turned up with their girlfriends, old couples struggled out of their snowbound houses to make the service, the place was packed to the aisles.

The ancient church was filled with the smell of fresh cut pine branches, which were the only decorations against the whitewashed walls. And added to that smell, as the service progressed, was the mesmerizing perfume  of the mulled wine being warmed up at the rear of the church by the Womens' Auxiliary.

At the end of the service, the congregation gathered behind the age-worn pews to drink cups of mulled wine, the heady, sugary, spicy drink , which says "Christmas". And, of course, this was accompanied by mince pies - that traditional confection of buttery short crust pastry filled with a delectable mixture of dried fruits,nuts and spices. A gathering doesn’t get better than this!

Here is that you'll need for 2 servings :

2 cups Ocean Spray cran-raspberry juice
1 cup red wine
1 orange spice tea bag
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 cinnamon sticks