Mulled wine has been adored for thousands of years and nowadays it’s a Christmas tradition. A special thing about this wine is its flavor. Mulled wine is usually served warm and assumes to contain a little bit of spices and sugar, but still there are some tricks of getting it just right.
What is mulled wine?
Mulled wine is a hot winter drink which is known under different names in the different regions of Europe. For example, in Germany mulled wine is known as Glühwein, in France as vin chaud and in Italy it is known as vin brule. However, the highest consumption rate of mulled wine is in northern countries like Sweden where it is called glogg. The idea of making mulled wine assumes that you can use even wine that has gone bad. Adding spices, sugar and honey helps to make wine more palatable, even if it did not taste so good anymore.
Which Wine to choose for making mulled wine?
There are some wines which are suited very well for making mulled wine. You can use a bottle of wine that was not so expensive or the wine which didn’t fulfil your expectations. But try to avoid the cheapest wines as well, because the result will not be the best in the end.
Red wine which costs about £5-10 would be just a perfect choice for making mulled wine. Chile or Spanish wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Shiraz will be great when you want to make a very good mulled wine. And remember – only trying out different wines will help you to make the best choice and to find your favourite taste!
Mulled Wine Tips
- Use whole spices to keep your mulled wine from becoming gritty.
- Add your ingredients into the pot and keep it on the heat until a bare simmer.
- Turn the heat down as soon as your combination of ingredients will start to emit. This will help to avoid the evaporation of alcohol from your mixture.
- It is always useful to know that the boiled wine will cook out the alcohol and will add the bitterness to your mulled wine. So, try to avoid this happing.
- The perfect simmering time for making mulled wine should be about 20 minutes.
- When serving mulled wine, place the fruit into a cup or a bowl first and then pour your wine over. Mulled wine can be served with cinnamon sticks and gingerbread cookies as well – it will bring a special Christmassy flavour to it.
