Walnut wine brightens up your Christmas dinner tables and enlivens New Year’s celebrations. It keeps you warm in winter and is great for sharing. This is the perfect get-together drink and is very easy to make.

Under the condition you get down to it at the right time! Well, picking seasons vary by regions. For instance in Moselle it was around the 15th July, when walnuts are fresh, with a green shell and the inside still gooey.

You will need a demijohn, some strong red wine, sugar, schnapps (mine is made from plum to be local).

There are plenty of recipes, with or without spices or fruits…I will share with you the simplest one, passed on to me by La Malou.

Recipe:

– 24 fresh walnuts
– 4 litres red wine, 13.5°C
– 1 litre schnapps or brandy
– 1 kg sugar

In the demijohn place the quartered walnuts. Pour over the sugar with a funnel. Then add the schnapps and wine. Close up the demijohn with a cork. Shake firmly so all ingredients mix properly.

Store in a dark and dry place (your basement ideally). Give it a shake everyday for a week, then every now and then over the next 3 months.

Sieve into bottles.

Ready for Christmas period.