It’s such a magical time of year. With Christmas around the corner, the season is steeped in holiday traditions. Stores, homes and cities streets are decked out with thousands of twinkling lights. Families tend to come together, if but for a brief moment. Pulling the tackiest sweaters out of the back of their closets, guys and gals proudly parade them all around town. Repeats of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “A Christmas Story” become marathon events on television. With the country fully immersed in a holiday mindset, I thought it would be interesting to find a couple of traditions involving wine.

"Le Beaujolais nouveau est arrivé!"

Beaujolais Nouveau is a red wine made from the Gamay grape coming from the Beaujolais AOC in France. The wine has limited fermentation and is bottled only six to eight weeks after harvest, giving it very little tannins and big bursts of fruit flavors. The tradition is in its release date and often businesses open at 12:01 a.m. for those seeking to be the first to get their hands on the first wine from the new harvest. Every new vintage is release on the third Thursday of November, making it a perfect choice for a holiday celebration. In the United States, this wine is more commonly associated with Thanksgiving, but is perfect throughout the holidays.

Glühwein

Looking for a little warmth and a cup of cheer this holiday season? Glühwein, originating in Germany, is a hot-spiced wine drink similar to Wassail except it is mulled with wine instead of cider. In Scandinavia, a similar drink is Glögg.

The tradition is to share with friends after a night of caroling or any other holiday festivity.

You can find Glühwein prepared in your favorite wine stores during the holidays but it is best when made yourself. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Use your crockpot or slow warmer to mull the wine with flavors of fresh citrus such as lemons and oranges and lots of spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice or peppercorn. Other ideas include diluting the mixture with tea or water, adding brown sugar, honey, blueberries, fresh cranberries and a shot of brandy.

Here is a basic recipe for your base:

Courtesy of Food.com

- 4 liters red wine

- Juice of 3 lemons

- 1 teaspoon lemon rind

- 15 cups brewed tea

- 12 whole cloves

- 3 cinnamon sticks