mulled wine

I've never really thought about it. A good, dry wine, some chopped or sliced oranges and lemons, a stick of cinnamon, a few cloves, some honey to taste and a shot of brandy/rum/whisky if liked.

For a party, keep it warm in the slow cooker. The wine will then absorb the taste of the fruit and spices.

Or prepare in advance and re-heat by the cupful in the microwave.

I make a base of either decent apple juice or orange juice to which I add a mix of spice to taste....some ground cloves, cinnamon, allspice (whatever I have - I do not buy the pre-mixed sachets as they are poor value and full of low quality stuff) together with a few whole spices such as cloves and cinnamon pieces and a good tablespoon of brown sugar and gently heat it and allow to simmer to 5 to 10 minutes. You can also add slices of orange, satsuma, apple etc once again its all very personal. Once the base is made I keep it on a very low heat and then add the red wine of choice...nothing too expensive but it needs to be a decent full bodied one such as a supermarkets own Merlot. I go for a 50/50 mix of wine to base....but some might prefer to use twice as much wine to base....its up to you. Once the wine is added you just keep it warm....do not allow to boil. If you want an extra kick you can add a glug of brandy!!
I always taste it before serving as sometimes it needs a bit more sugar or if too sweet a dash of lemon juice.