In the South, we drink punch. We have it for any family gathering—weddings, birthdays, christenings, and especially the holidays. One particularly memorable family holiday tradition was the Sunday afternoon punch and cookie party. My aunt would make the punch, and everybody would bring a different kind of holiday cookie. We’d visit with each other and enjoy an afternoon of sweets and punch.
My grandma’s punches were made mostly with sherbet, juice, and fruit—very sweet and nonalcoholic. My punch recipe has the addition of a lighter-bodied red wine. (Who doesn’t adore a cocktail at Christmastime?) The Clos du Bois Rouge Red Blend is jammy, fruitier, and really light, so it lends itself to a punch recipe; adding fruit really brings out those flavors. It’s also a delicious companion to dessert.
My grandma always served her punches in an etched Fostoria glass punch bowl with matching glasses, which I covet to this day. I think punch is coming back in style in a big way, so I’d serve my recipe in the same type of elegant glass punch bowl with a ladle and matching glasses, just like grandma taught me.
Rouge holiday punch
1 bottle Clos du Bois Rouge Red Blend wine
1 cup light rum
1⁄4 cup Cointreau
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup orange juice
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1 lemon
1 orange
Thinly sliced nutmeg In a large punch bowl, combine wine, rum, Cointreau, and juices. Chill at least 1 hour before serving. Add orange slices. Serve over ice, and dust with a sprinkle of nutmeg
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