Divining Rod~Mulled Wine~Positively Witchy

Mulled wine – the quintessential holiday beverage!  It’s a big ole’ warm and fuzzy hug in a mug.  You’ll feel warm through and through and your kitchen will smell ahhhh..mazing! My neighbors have voted me as the official cocktail maker for our annual Halloween Trick or Treat get together!  I’m honored, but I owe it to Divining Rod~Mulled Wine.  This my friends is another delightful wine from Marc Mondavi. This spiced wine is about to become my new go to for chilly nights in front of the fire, our forays into the mountains and just anytime, really.

So, I admit until I heard about this I’d never heard about it! Downright witchy, which is why using the The Divining Rod Cabernet Sauvignon was perfect for my trick or treat mulled wine. Water divining, also called water witching or dowsing, is a craft whose origins are as mysterious as the practice itself. Now I’m sure you totally understand – right?

Marc Mondavi is a water witch.  His ability to locate water using the Divining rod, a tool employed by diviners, typically constructed of wood or metals such as brass or copper. A single Y-shaped wood rod or dual L-shaped metal rods are common examples. The divining rod channels the energy of the diviner and gives an indication of positive or negative response, location or directionality.  If you’d like to read more about Marc and his spooktacular talent here and here are a couple of short articles where you can learn more about all this haunting behavior.

You know how much I enjoy a good wine and here’s what I like about this cabernet.  It is rich, with depth and character of black fruit.  Think, black cherry, blackberry, plum and a layer of sandalwood complimented by a light cocoa and cola flavor.  Delightful flavors that meld perfectly with the spices during the mulling process.

If you prefer to drink this deep ruby cab solo it pairs well with hard aged cheeses like Gouda, Colby, and salty Pecorino. Display cheeses on an antipasto platter with cured and smoked meats, some roasted root veggies, a bowl of fresh pesto for dipping, a loaf of crusty bread and call it dinner!

The Divining Rod Pinot Noir would also produce a delicious version of spiced wine with it’s earthy aromas of herbs and cranberry, and lighter notes of cinnamon, black cherry and clove. Doesn’t it sound perfect? And by the way did you know that Pinot Noir pairs wonderfully with fish?  Yes, and with tomato based sauces and pizza!

Last but not lease I want to introduce you to The Divining Rod Divine Red, a ripe juicy blend of rock star grapes, offering a velvety core and medium mouth feel with a deep ruby color.  Divine Red opens with aromas of black cherry, baking spice, blackberry, plum and cedar complimented by hints of blueberry and cassis, a sophisticated blend.  Harmony in a bottle! Pair this beauty with smoky, spicy  BBQ ribs, wings or chili or pepper-crusted anything!

If you’re making mulled wine for your Halloween or holiday get together you can definitely make it ahead and keep it warm in your slow cooker.  The honey slightly sweetens the wine, but allows the spices to come out and produces that warm fuzzy feeling….just a little magic in your glass! #DrinkUpWitches