The Best Mulled Spiced Wine Recipe — Sugar & Cloth (2024)

FAQs

What is the perfect wine for mulled wine? ›

The best wines for mulled wine are richly fruity, medium-bodied ones with little oak aging, because these stand up to the bold sweetness and spice of the hot drink without tasting too tannic. For example, try a Chilean Merlot, a Zinfandel from California or a Grenache from Spain.

Mulled wine, also known as spiced wine, is an alcoholic drink usually made with red wine, along with various mulling spices and sometimes raisins, served hot or warm. It is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas.

(Edit: To minimize bitterness, I recommend peeling the orange before simmering it in the wine.) Cinnamon: I love the making mulled wine with cinnamon sticks, but you could whisk in some ground cinnamon if that's what you have on hand.

Ainsley Harriott recommends mulling wines in a slow cooker and says two hours at low temperature gives excellent results and should retain most alcohol content.

The Spices

Ground spices are much easier to overdo, which can lead to a bitter mulled wine that tastes more like raw cinnamon than a delightful, warming beverage. Cinnamon is the most essential spice in mulled wine.

Method. Put the red wine, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, lemon zest and sugar in a large pan. Cook on a low heat for 10 mins. Remove from the heat and cool, leaving to infuse for about 30 mins.

Use cheap wine. Don't break out a special bottle for this. Cooking the wine will change it: Some of the alcohol blows off (hence the need for added brandy), the wine may taste more acidic (hence the need for added sugar) and any of its delicate, nuanced aromas will become largely undetectable.

This drink is consumed enormously in Scandinavian countries, particularly in Sweden and Denmark, where it is called Glögg and Gløgg respectively (terms meaning "mulled wine" in each language). In Germany, as in most Germanic countries, it is mainly consumed under the name Glühwein.

The red wine base in mulled wine brings its own set of health benefits. Resveratrol is associated with heart health benefits and may help protect the lining of blood vessels, lower bad cholesterol levels, and prevent blood clots. When consumed in moderation, red wine has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease.

Addition of sugar: Adding a small amount of sugar can help balance out the bitterness of the wine. However, it's important to add the sugar in moderation, as too much sugar can mask the wine's other flavors.

Why has my mulled wine gone fizzy? ›

Either some carbon dioxide was trapped inside when the wine was bottled, or the wine started to re-ferment while in the bottle, and the bubbles are a byproduct. A little fizz won't make you sick, but I find it unpleasant, and it usually comes with a yeasty stink.

Be careful not to over heat or boil the mixture. Since alcohol evaporates at 172 degrees which is much lower than water you would be left with a non-alcoholic version of mulled wine and that defeats the purpose.

When you're ready to make the mulled wine pour a bottle of wine into a large pan. Add a slice each of lemon and orange and the spice sachet. Bring just to the boil and simmer gently for 15min. Remove the spice sachet, lemon and orange and serve.

TO STORE: Let your mulled wine cool completely, then pour it into an airtight storage container and place it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm mulled wine in a large pot on the stovetop over low heat, or pour leftovers into your slow cooker and reheat on LOW until warm.

Muslims are prohibited from drinking (or smoking) anything that will make a person intoxicated.

Generally speaking, you won't go wrong using a relatively dry, but fruity (or “fruit-forward”) wine for mulling. And, if the recipe you choose calls for a dose of brandy or other liquor, you'll probably want to choose a wine that's low in alcohol (unless, of course, you have a specific goal in mind).

Just like with the best wines for sangria, the wines you choose for mulled wine don't need to be fancy (you'll be adding other ingredients to it anyway so there's no need to break the bank on an expensive bottle).

Red wines are traditionally used to make mulled wine, and while any red wine can work, sweet reds will give you a nice, sweet base, meaning less sugar added in later. If you use a dry red, keep in mind you may need to add more sugar than a recipe calls for.

More expensive wines are sometimes more delicate, so heating them up changes the taste anyway. The best wine to use for mulled wine is something flavorful that won't break the bank. Look for bottles that are between $10-20.