Gifts for Yourself
Relax with Spiced Wine — hot, cold or room temperature. (Photo by Carolyn Jung)
If all that cooking, entertaining and shopping over the holidays has run you ragged, it’s time you gave yourself a little present, don’t you think?
Here are a few definitely worth considering.
Spicy Vines
There’s little that’s more relaxing than kicking off your shoes with a glass of red wine after a long, hard day.
Imagine one crafted from Zinfandel, Syrah, Petit Syrah, Granache and a bit of Sauvignon Blanc brandy, and imbued with heady spices to snuggle up with.
That’s what you’ll discover in Spiced Wine by Spicy Vines, which Bay Area founders Crystalyn Hoffman and Anders Pederson modeled after mulled wine or glogg.
Surprisingly, the sample I tried was not the over-powering, ultra-alcoholic, hit-you-in-the-face sweet mulled wine I’m accustomed to. Instead, it’s quite balanced and enjoyable.
At room temperature, the orange, clove and cinnamon are quite evident on the nose. It’s a festive-tasting drink with good structure and flavors of warm baking spices and deep, dark fruit.
When warmed — which you can do easily in the microwave — the citrus become more muted and the tannins more present.
