Lightly crush the cardamon pods with the back of a spoon to expose the seeds.
Put the water and sugar in the crock pot and turn on high. Stir to dissolve the sugar. At this point you can make this more of a harvest drink and add clementines or more Christmas-y and use the cranberries and rosemary.
Add the rest of the ingredients and heat until the wine just gets to a simmer. Then turn the dial to the 'keep warm' setting and let it sit for about 30 minutes before serving.
Strain the wine before serving and garnish each glass with a cinnamon stick and a star anise.
