Rosemary Mulled Wine and Tea

To borrow a lyric from one of my favorite Christmas songs,

"Greeting cards have all been sent, the Christmas rush is through.."

Now that you're finished running around like a maniac, it's time to put your feet up and enjoy spending the holiday with your family. This is the perfect thing to have on Christmas night while sitting by the fire. The aroma is inviting and it makes the whole house smell wonderful.
Merry Christmas!


1 bottle full-bodied red wine
1 qt black Darjeeling tea
1/4 c honey
1/3 c sugar, or to taste
2 oranges, sliced thin and seeded
2 cinnamon sticks (3-inch)
6 whole cloves
3 rosemary sprigs


Pour the wine and tea into a noncorrodible saucepan. Add the honey, sugar, oranges, spices, and rosemary. Heat over low heat until barely steaming. Stir until the honey is dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let stand for at least 30 minutes. When ready to serve, reheat until just steaming and serve hot.


Tip:
If you have leftovers, remove the oranges and rosemary, let the punch cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. Reheat gently with fresh oranges and rosemary. The punch will be a bit stronger, but still quite enjoyable.