There is no way known to man – by which I mean both winemakers and mortal people – that one can improve on wine. The tenderest beef on the planet benefits from the addition of a pepper sauce or mushroom ragù, but the only thing that can enhance a glass of wine is a second glass of wine. To change the flavour of a fully-fledged, winemaker-sanctioned wine should be a criminal offence (minumim penalty one year without wine).
Three things, however, fall within acceptable boundaries of wine transmutation: sangria, mulled wine and red wine jus.
Sangria
Sangria is light, fun and fruity – like a summer’s day in Spain. The basic ingredients are red wine, ice cubes and other stuff. The other stuff makes sangria fun to make because you are limited pretty much by your imagination. Here are the ingredients for a standard sangria: 1 750ml bottle of red wine (the best wine is one in a bottle which costs less than $10); 1 lemon; 1 orange; 2 or 3 strawberries, sliced; shots of brandy (one shot will do, but you’re calling the shots here); 2 tablespoons of sugar; 2 cups of soda water.
Here is the method for the standard sangria: Combine the wine, brandy, sugar and strawberry slices in a jug. Cut the lemon and orange in half, squeeze the juice of both through a sieve into the mixure, then slice the lemon and orange thinly and add the slices to the wine mixture. Place in the fridge and leave overnight. In the morning (or later if you’re not having it for breakfast), add the soda water, stir and serve.
Here are some ingredients and ideas for a more adventurous sangria: use white wine instead of red; add fruit of all sorts (try blueberries, raspberries or kiwi fruit); add a cinnamon stick; use gin, rum, Cointreau or Midori instead of brandy; use all five; use ginger ale or champagne instead of soda water; use sparkling shiraz instead of red wine.
Mulled wine
The Swedes call it gløgg, which is a rather unromantic term for a substance which has probably done as much as reindeer meat and central heating to ensure their survival. The Germans call it glühwein, which gets closer to the comfort levels it engenders. The Italians started it all, first spicing their wine in about the 1st century. The British have called it mulled wine since before Queen Victoria ruled most of the world. It is a warm, spiced drink traditionally drunk at Christmas, which is a ridiculous restriction no doubt invented by the Victorian-era fun police.
Like sangria, mulled wine has few set rules. Most countries have versions, and reading about them is a satisfying thing to do while drinking it. On the coldest of nights, you can get considerable benefit by simply slipping a few cloves into some red wine and heating it.
Here are the ingrediencts for a standard mulled wine: 1 750ml red wine (light and fruity is best), 10 cloves, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1/4 cup caster sugar, 2 cups water, the roughly grated rind of 1 orange, 1 roughly chopped apple (leave the skin on).
Method: Combine the water, cloves, cinnamon, sugar, orange rind and apple in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low, simmer for 10 minutes. Add red wine and simmer for another 5 minutes. Strain and serve immediately.
Now do it all again using port instead of red wine. Do not drive.
Red wine jus
This is the stuff that separates chefs from mere mortals. Jus is French for juice, and the art of creating this divine meat accompaniment is combining the juice of the meat with things like stock and bay leaves and, of course, red wine.
Here is a simple but achievable recipe for red jus which will earn you accolades. The secrets of a truly great red wine jus, however, are locked by chefs in safes which are kept in bank vaults which are built into rock faces deep inside caves in some of the most inaccessible areas of Mars.
Ingredients: ¼ cup red wine, ¼ cup port, ½ cup beef stock, 1 sprig fresh rosemary, 2 bay leaves, 2 teaspoons of butter.
Method: Combine the wine, port, rosemary and bay leaves in a pan, bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and leave until the mixture has reduced to half. Add the stock and reduce by half again. Dip a spoon into the mixture – if it sticks to (coats) the back of the spoon, it is done. Strain the jus through a fine sieve, return to heat, bring to boil and melt in the butter. Salt may be added to taste.
Chris Champion is the editor of Forty South Tasmania and a director of Forty South Publishing. He has worked as an editor and writer in Australia and Asia for more than half a century, but refuses to retire.