Nothing says Christmas like the smell of cinnamon and other spices. And nothing keeps you warmer as you stroll the French Christmas markets than a "vin chaud," so here's our recipe to enjoy in your home, smells, warmth and Christmas twinkle.

Ingredients

For 6 people:

  • 1 bottle of red wine (like Pinot noir)
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • some lemon and orange zests
  • 1 stick of cinnamon
  • 1 star anise
  • 2 cloves
  • a short piece of fresh ginger
  • a pinch of grated nutmeg
  • orange slices for decoration

Instructions

  • Add all the ingredients except the orange slices into a pot and bring to a gentle boil for 5 minutes.
  • Take out the spices, and serve hot, adding an orange slice to each glass for decoration.

Vin chaud - Mulled wine

Delicious vin chaud - © Pixabay

France Just For You

Experts in self-drive tours in France

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Tony & Carolyn
We had the most wonderful two week trip planned by France-Just For You and it delivered more than we expected The quality of the travel package was amazing and every detail was designed to be most helpful for us. We had never stayed in B&Bs before but this trip has opened up more exciting travel options for us than we could have imagined. I would …
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My husband and I just returned from two magnificent weeks in France that included four nights in Paris, four nights in the Loire Valley, two nights near Mont Saint Michel, three nights in Bayeux, near the WWII Landing Beaches and one night at a CDG airport hôtel. We stayed in charming B&Bs with equally charming hosts who recommended great places to …
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This was one of the best trips we have taken to Europe. We have often done our own planning. It was so nice to have Laura help. We were very delighted with accommodations and friendliness of all our hosts and tour guides. As Americans that don't speak much French, we would never have been able to arrange a trip like this ourselves - and we've done …
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A Great Cultural Experience What we loved most about our wonderful trip was the special activities that FJFY hand picked and tailor made for our interests. We did an awesome cooking experience in Provence, a fun food and wine walking tour with in Nice and a very enjoyable and informative walk in Lagrasse with Carlos. We visited many local markets …
Shanna
Emilie's services are amazing!! I contacted her after my one year anniversary trip planning fell through with another agency. She quickly picked up the reins from where they left off, listened to our budget requests and organized an absolutely fantastic trip for us! From Paris to Provence to the French Riviera, everywhere we stayed was wonderful …