- 2 bottles dry Pinot Grigio
- 250 g granulated sugar
- strips of peel from 3 oranges
- 1 tbsp grated orange zest
- 20 ml lemon juice & strips of peel from 1 lemon
- 1 piece fresh ginger, peeled, chopped and smashed
- 5 whole star anise
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Combine orange zest, a pinch of salt, and 125 ml sugar in a small bowl. Crush with the back of a spoon. Set aside. Heat peels, ginger and 125 g sugar in a large pan for 8 minutes, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon, until the sugar crystallizes and turns golden. Slowly stir in the wine. Add spices, vanilla and lemon juice. Simmer for 10 minutes. Off the heat, steep for 20 minutes further. Sieve through a fine wire-mesh strainer then reheat. Rub the rims of heatproof glasses or mugs with a lemon wedge. Dip the rims into the orange zest–sugar mix. Carefully ladle hot wine in.
Inventive, unusual Italian-style mulled white wine from Alissa Diaz of Washington Italian restaurant Centrolina. A refreshing change, it hints at panettone, a speciality at Christmastide in Italy.