Warm red wine simmered with cinnamon, cloves, star anise, citrus peel, and honey, served steaming hot during cold Moldovan winters.
Ingredients
1 bottle (750ml) dry red wine, preferably Moldovan
3 tbsp honey
2 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
2 star anise
Peel of 1 orange
Peel of 1 lemon
1 apple, sliced
100ml water
Instructions
1Pour wine and water into a saucepan. Add cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, and citrus peels.
2Heat gently over low heat until the wine is steaming and very warm but never boiling. Boiling evaporates the alcohol.
3Add honey and stir until dissolved. Add apple slices and let the wine warm for ten more minutes.
4Taste and adjust sweetness with more honey if needed. The wine should be warmly spiced and subtly sweet.
5Strain into heatproof glasses or mugs, catching the whole spices. A cinnamon stick in each glass is decorative.
6Serve immediately while piping hot. This drink is best enjoyed slowly on a cold winter evening.
Did You Know?
Moldova has more vineyards per capita than any other country in the world, and the Milestii Mici wine cellar holds the Guinness record for the largest wine collection with over two million bottles.