Mulled Wine Recipe ~ How to Make the Best Mulled Wine (2024)

FAQs

What is the best wine for mulled wine? ›

The best red wine to use for mulled wine is Merlot, Zinfandel or Garnacha (also called Grenache). These wines are dark, fruity and full bodied, which means they can support all of the flavors we'll be adding. Look for labels that describe the wine as “jammy” or with “notes of vanilla.”

To minimize any bitter flavor, you can peel the orange before simmering it in the wine. You can also always add extra sweetener.

Cold mulled wine may be strained and chilled, then reheated very gently in a microwave.

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.

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.

Mulled Wine Ingredients:

Wine: No need to splurge on a pricey bottle — a mid-range bottle of dry red or white wine will do. (Or if you're making a big batch, this is a great recipe to break out a nicer boxed wine too!)

You need to infuse the wine long enough with the spices to take on their flavour but DON'T ON ANY ACCOUNT LET THE MIXTURE BOIL as you'll be left with a bitter taste. Slow and low is the way to go. And it shouldn't be served piping hot, just comfortably - and comfortingly - warm.

Don't pour off much, you want to reseal the bottle with minimal headspace. Let the bottle sit for 48 hours, strain and enjoy. Heat gently if desired. If you make brownies try replacing 1 tablespoon/15 ml of whatever liquid your recipe calls for, with the same amount of mulled wine — room temp or colder.

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.

Warm it over low to medium heat. Alcohol evaporates at 80 °C so you need to make sure your Thermapen remains under this temperature to capture all of the flavours of the mulled wine. After warming, add your remaining ingredients and gently simmer the mixture over low heat for about 15-20 minutes.

Can you drink mulled wine straight from the bottle? ›

Yes. Even though the spiced wine is heated, most of the alcohol remains.

Does the alcohol cook out when making mulled wine? In short, yes, some of the alcohol burns off when boiling mulled wine, but you should only be gently bringing up to the boil and simmering for around 15-30 minutes which isn't enough time to completely remove all alcohol traces.

Zinfandels, Merlots, Syrah/Shiraz, or Garnache tend to work best. Avoid red wines high in tannins or have an oaky flavor, and avoid light reds. Sometimes Cabernet Sauvignon, which tends to have a full-bodied, fruity flavor, can work in a pinch, as can Malbec, which tends to have a bold, spicy flavor.

Most mulled wine is served in a mug. Ceramic or porcelain mugs will help to protect your hands from the heat of the spiced wine, and the mug handle will make it much easier to drink. Glass mugs are another good option for serving mulled wine. However, there are special mulled wine glasses.

All ingredients are combined and heated to approximately 150-160 degrees. 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.

Zinfandels, Merlots, Syrah/Shiraz, or Garnache tend to work best. Avoid red wines high in tannins or have an oaky flavor, and avoid light reds.

As wine forms the base for the mulled wine, you do want to be careful with your selection. A bottle of Levant Shiraz makes the perfect base - we don't recommend Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir. Cabernet Sauvignon is too high in tannin, and Pinot Noir is too light to carry the spices.

I like dry white wines, fruity and not too sweet. And I like to reach for local, Slovenian wines as we do have a lot of producers here. I usually go with a Pinot Grigio or a Chardonnay.

Both wines are flavored with apple cider, some vanilla bean, an assortment of spices and fruit. The red is sweetened with a touch of maple syrup (YES!) while the white is sweetened with some honey and ginger.