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

FAQs

What is the best wine to use to make 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.”

(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.

Pour the mulled wine into a large pre-heated saucepan on a low heat. Stir occasionally for few minutes until warm to the touch. Do not over-heat and never allow the wine to boil. However tempting it may be do not microwave mulled wine as the delicate spices can be over-excited and result in a rough, burnt tasting wine.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Just follow the directions for your favorite recipe and let the wine simmer with spices until it's deeply infused. Then let the mulled wine cool at room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container, and store it in the fridge — it will keep well there for up to three days.

Ideally you want to use bigger and bolder red wines like Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah, or Cabernet, but any fruity red wine your family members are leaving around will do. I've used Pinot Noir before to success. Honestly, whatever red wine that you're stuck with and you don't want to drink, they'll work.

Merlot is an ideal choice of wine for making mulled wine. Its bold, juicy fruit flavor has notes of red cherry, plum, and cranberry. Plus, this particular selection is made with fruits from California's central coast at an affordable price.

These delightfully layered notes make the Carneros Pinot Noir the perfect choice for mulled wine.

Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc, and dry sparkling wines labeled "brut" are especially good choices. Fuller whites with strong, oaky flavors, like some Chardonnays, don't work as well for cooking because they are lower in acidity and don't provide as much punch as the crisper wines.