Now that the cold weather is settling in, it’s time to start cozying up to a warm cup of mulled wine. Sit by the fire and enjoy the warm, full flavor of the mulling spices steeped with your favorite red.

Mulled wine is a long-standing tradition with many cultures and has many names across the globe: the Germans and Austrians refer to it as glühwein, the Nordic countries like to call it glögg, Chileans call it vino navegado and in Quebec, they call it caribou.

To make mulled wine, any red wine will do. The traditional wine used for making mulled wine is a port or a claret, but you can always use a red like a cabernet sauvignon or pinot noir.

Go ahead, give this recipe a try:

• 4 cups apple cider
• 1 (750 ml) bottle of red wine
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 orange, zested and juiced
• 4 whole cloves
• 3 star anise
• 4 oranges, peeled, for garnish

Combine the cider, wine, honey, cinnamon sticks, zest, juice, cloves and star anise in a large saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Pour into mugs, add an orange peel to each and serve hot off the stove.

Everyone has their own tastes, so experiment with the recipe. Less honey, more cider, some people add raisins … or try adding some stronger spirits such as vodka or brandy. We’d love to hear what you and your holiday guests think of your new, mulled concoction.