Carefully warm the brandy to 115 F. Bruise the seeds and spices and add them to the warm liquid. Pour the brandy into a bottle and seal it; store in a cool, dark place to age for at least one month.

Dissolve the sugar in the water and add the vanilla bean. Combine with the aged brandy mixture, add the white wine, bottle it, and let the entire mixture age another month. Strain the liquid and pour it into bottles. Seal them and store in a cool, dark place.

Hill and Barclay write: "This is our adaptation of a recipe that first appeared in _Herbally Yours_, a cookbook published by the Southern California Unit of The Herb Society of America. We use it with meats, poultry, sauces, fruit, desserts and as an aperitif."

From Madalene Hill and Gwen Barclay's "Vanilla: From an Orchid Comes a Bean with a Rich, Versatile Flavor..." article. "The Herb Companion, " Dec.