Hot Toddy – Grape Crush

The traditional wedding wine, mead, has long been made by home brewers but has been less available commercially. Specialty shops like Martin Wine Cellar carry some varieties, and it’s fun to pick a few up to see how this honey wine—which has been around for centuries and was the inspiration for the term “honeymoon,” for when it was consumed—is being interpreted. It’s a bracing, sweet taste with a texture that lies somewhere between beer and vino. Mead’s heavy body and aggressive profile makes it work better in colder months. In fact, it’s often mulled with spices and served hot.

Chaucer’s Mead

California, $14

The lighter and sweeter of this month’s two picks, award-winning Chaucer’s Mead is pale yellow-gold in color, with a sweet, fruity profile. It has been singled out by Wine Enthusiast as a Best Buy champion fruit wine. Try it as a dessert wine or mull it with its accompanying packet of spices.

Bunratty Meade

Ireland, $18

The hoppier and more full-bodied of the two, Bunratty Meade has a slightly toasty profile that lends itself to sturdy hot toddy made by warming it with cinnamon and citrus. It can also be served before dinner with a wheel of Irish cheese.