A saucepan, a red wine on the verge of simmering, and a few spoonfuls of spice: this is how Épices à Vin Chaud Tradition Bio is meant to be used. It sticks to five ingredients, those found in the recipes of the Christmas markets of Alsace and Central Europe.

Rosehip, the fruit of the dog rose, comes from South Africa, Eastern Europe and Chile; it brings its fruity acidity and its colour. The orange peel comes from Ghana, the cinnamon in sticks from Viêt-Nam as well as Indonesia, accompanied by Ceylon cinnamon. The clove, a dried flower bud from a tropical member of the myrtle family, completes the list. All are organic.

For mulled wine, allow about ten minutes of infusion in the wine as it simmers, without letting it boil, then strain and sweeten to taste. The same method works with apple or grape juice, for an alcohol-free version the children can share. The scent of cinnamon and orange then fills the whole house.

Infused in water, it also makes a herbal infusion in its own right, fruity and spiced, round, lifted by the tang of rosehip. Naturally caffeine-free, it needs ten to twelve minutes of steeping in boiling water, at 100 °C, and 15 to 20 g of blend per litre. It is the drink of winter afternoons and festive days.

It accompanies bredele, gingerbread, roasted chestnuts. We weigh it to order in Bordeaux and Nice, in small or large quantities; an airtight tin will keep it from one season to the next.