Mulled Wine
Because it’s not the holidays without mulled wine…
‘Tis the season for mulled wine, spice and everything nice. In fact, I’d say outside of trimming the tree, nothing gets me feeling more festive than mulled wine. It’s just so fragrant and full of warmth and good cheer.
But mulled wine is more than just a holiday tradition. It’s a timeless winter tradition, offering a comforting, spiced drink that warms you from the inside out. Whether you're hosting a holiday party, exploring a Christmas Market or simply enjoying a cozy evening at home, mulled wine can set the perfect mood. It's a drink that brings people together, warms the body and soul, and adds a festive touch to any occasion.
Mulled wine is always one of my personal favorite traditions of the season. It reminds me of wandering the Christmas markets in Europe or enjoying Après Ski in the alps. But don’t worry, you don’t need a plane ticket to savor this seasonal beverage. It’s actually quite easy to make at home. While of course nothing will quite beat the atmosphere and vibes of Christmastime in Europe and that magic is a bit hard to recreate at home, I’d like to think that my mulled wine recipe is the next best thing to getting a glass at one of the Christmas market stalls. The spices, the smells, the taste, they’ll transport you to another world, a Christmas world. Honestly, if you take a sip and close your eyes you can almost imagine you’re there…almost.
You’ll notice in my recipe that I like all the traditional mulling spices and then some. Give me all the flavor and spice please and thank you. So while extras, like molasses and vanilla beans, are absolutely not necessary I do think that they elevate the mulled wine to the next level. But whatever mulled wine you choose to make, whether it’s a classic recipe or experimenting with creative variations, mulled wine is sure to become a favorite in your winter repertoire.
I personally love enjoying a glass of mulled wine while enjoying a cozy Christmas movie night and even more so when paired with Gingerbread cookies (Double yum!). I also love having it when we make fondue (Talk about recreating the après ski vibes at home!), but mulled wine is also just a delicious drink all on it’s own, as an afternoon treat or after dinner wind down.
In today’s post, we’ll explore everything you need to know about mulled wine, from its origins and benefits to tasty variations and pairing ideas, and, of course, I’ll be sharing what I think is the best classic mulled wine recipe.
What is mulled wine?
Let’s start with the basics. For those who aren’t familiar, mulled wine is a hot, spiced beverage made from red wine, sugar, and various spices. It’s typically served during colder months and is a popular choice during the holiday season. The warmth from the wine, along with the fragrant spices, makes it an ideal drink for festive gatherings or quiet nights by the fire. It’s a little sweet, a little spicy and a whole lot of fruity and let me tell you, on a cold winter day (preferably somewhere in the Alps), there’s just about nothing better than sipping on a hot glass of mulled wine.
These days there’s no shortage of mulled wine recipes, and of course everyone seems to have their secret spin or special ingredient that they swear by. But at it’s core, classic mulled wine is made with just a few essential ingredients- red wine, mulling spices and a sweetener. The mulling spices can include any and everything from cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, ginger and black pepper and sometimes even dried apple and/or orange rinds or citrus slices. For a sweetener, honey is a go-to, but maple syrup and sugar (brown or granulated) are also used. You might also find mulled wine made with things like raisins or other dried fruits, vanilla beans, molasses and even liquor added in.
If you like a warm, fragrant beverage to sip on during the holidays or you’re looking to swap out your hot chocolate for something fruitier, mulled wine is the perfect option for you.
A Brief History of Mulled Wine
Mulled wine has been around for centuries, with its origins dating back to ancient Rome. The Romans would heat wine and add spices like pepper and honey to create a warm, medicinal drink, believed to help ward off the cold and promote health. The tradition evolved over time and became particularly popular in Northern Europe, where it was known as "glühwein" in Germany, "vin chaud" in France and glögg in Nordic countries.
In the 16th century, mulled wine was often served at festive occasions, and the popularity spread across Europe, especially during the winter months. Today, mulled wine is closely associated with winter in Europe, Christmas markets, holiday parties, après ski and cozy gatherings and, while you can find mulled wine here in the States, it’s still far more popular and widely available throughout Europe.
Does the quality of wine matter in mulled wine?
Hot take- I think mulling wine is a great way to make a cheap bottle of red (that you’d probably otherwise not being drinking) actually taste decent, or at the very least, drinkable. Now does that mean I’m using some five dollar bottle of wine or Franzia? Probably not. (Give me a little credit, I’m not a total maniac). But I’ll be the first to admit that I like to use up any wines I might not otherwise drink by turning them into mulled wine. I also think mulled wine is a great way to finally use up that bottle of wine you were gifted but that really doesn’t taste much better than a three buck chuck (you know the wine I’m talking about). In my humble opinion, mulling will make even the worst of wines taste lovely (or, like I said before, at the very least, drinkable). In other words, I don’t entirely buy into the belief that the quality of the wine matters.
Now I know experts probably don’t agree with me, but also…what kind of wine do you all think they’re using to make the mulled wine at Christmas markets where they’re making huge batches to serve hundreds of people all day long? Because trust me, it isn’t the pricey good stuff and that’s not stopping them from selling out their wine. And I’d also argue that Christmas market mulled wine is the best mulled wine out there, so, you know, do with that what you will. But I say when it comes to the best wines for making mulled wine, use the wine you’ve got.
That being said, I once read something someone had said about mulled wine and that you want the spices to enhance the flavor, not cover it. So, as with any recipe, think about the quality of each individual ingredient. And, with mulled wine, where the wine is, well, pretty much the main ingredient, the kind of wine you use can and will impact your end results. Don’t focus so much on high end, rather on well made, additive free wines, the wine’s profile notes and what you want your desired outcome to taste like (i.e. sweeter, fruitier, heavier, smoother).
The Best Wines for Mulled Wine
As far as the best wine varietals to use to make mulled wine, Zinfandel is a classic choice but a Merlot or Garnacha (also called Grenache) work really well, too. These wines are dark, fruity and full bodied, which means they can support all of the flavors you’ll be adding in with the mulling spices.
I also personally don’t mind using a pinot noir or a syrah, or really whatever I have on hand and stand by my belief that as long as it’s a halfway decent red wine, you really can’t go wrong.
When trying to select a wine to mull, here are some things to keep in mind-
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Jammy, fruit-forward, notes of vanilla, full-bodied, subtly sweet to semi-dry
WHAT TO AVOID
Anything that is too bright and zesty and mentions oak, anything too sweet or too dry
WINES TO CHOOSE FROM
ZINFANDEL
The classic choice; it will give you a mulled wine that is more jammy and sweet
MERLOT
For something more velvety and structured
GRENACHE
For something fruity and full-bodied
PINOR NOIR
SHIRAZ
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED TO MAKE CLASSIC MULLED WINE
WINE
Obviously! You’ll need a whole bottle of a red wine of your choice (see list above for options).
MULLING SPICEs
While mulling spices are traditionally cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and allspice, I’ll admit I tend to go a bit wild when it comes to the spices in my mulled wine. The more the merrier in my book. I, of course, use the traditional mulling spices but I also love to add in star anise, dried ginger (a chunk of fresh ginger works well, too), cardamom, fresh ground black pepper (don’t knock it ‘til you try it…you’d be surprised how much this lends to the overall flavor of the spices) and a whole vanilla bean (although you can leave this out). However, the great thing about mulled wine is that you can easily opt out of anything you don’t like or don’t have on hand, or add more or less of any of the spices. I like to try to at least do the core four but outside of that, the world is your oyster, er, mulled wine. Spice it up as you please.
SUGAR (OR OTHER SWEETENER OF YOUR CHOICE)
To bring all the flavors together and keep the wine from getting too bitter, you’ll want to add just a touch of something sweet. Honey, maple syrup, brown sugar or molasses are all great options. I personally like to use a mix of maple syrup or honey and molasses to sweeten up my mulled wine. Feel free to use a spiced or citrus honey if you have it, otherwise plain honey will do the trick. You could leave out the molasses but it adds such a nice additional layer of warm and fragrant spices to the overall drink that I really recommend not omitting it if possible.
BRANDY, COGNAC OR ORANGE LIQUOr
I love adding a little brandy or orange cognac to add more depth and warmth to the wine, but you can use a mix of both, a different kind of cognac or brandy or skip them altogether.
CITRUS
I add lemon and orange slices. I generally use naval oranges but blood oranges are a nice festive addition if you have them. I leave the rinds on but feel free to remove them if you’re worried about your wine becoming too bitter.
FRUIT
Raisins are most traditional when it comes to fruit in mulled wine, however I will sometimes add fresh cranberries or dried cranberries. The fruit isn’t at all necessary but it is a nice bonus as it will soak up the spices and flavor of the wine making for an extra tasty treat at the bottom of your glass. Feel free to use fresh fruit or additional orange slices to garnish the glasses as well.
How to Make the Best Mulled Wine
Making mulled wine at home is easy, and with the right ingredients, you can easily create a batch that rivals any version found at a bar, a Christmas market stand or at the store. Here’s the simple recipe to make it:
STEP 1
Pour the red wine into a large saucepan or pot over medium heat. Add the spices, sweetener and orange slices. Stir to combine.
STEP 2
Slowly heat the mixture, ensuring it doesn’t come to a boil. Keep it at a simmer for at least 30 minutes up to 3 hours, allowing the flavors to meld together. Avoid letting the wine start to boil or bubble in any way so as avoid having the alcohol vaporize. Keep the pot partially covered and be sure to give it a stir every once in a while.
STEP 3
Strain the mulled wine to remove the spices and orange slices, then add the mulled wine back into the pot. Taste and adjust the sweetness by adding more sweetener if desired. If you like a stronger drink, you can also add additional brandy and if you’d like to add in dried fruit, this is the time to do that, as well. Just add in the dried fruit and let everything simmer for a few minutes so that the fruit can soak up the flavors of the wine.
STEP 4
Ladle the wine into mugs or heatproof glasses and garnish with a cinnamon stick or a slice of orange, if desired.
WHAT TOOLS YOU NEED TO MAKE MULLED WINE
FAQ + Tips for the Perfect Mulled Wine Experience
To make your mulled wine experience even better, keep these tips in mind:
CAN THIS RECIPE BE DOUBLED OR TRIPLED?
This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for large gatherings. Just make sure that you’re using a big enough pot, something like a stockpot.
CAN THE WINE BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME?
Yes, mulled wine can be made ahead of time. In fact, the flavors get even richer and deeper the more time it has to meld together.
Mulled wine can be made in advance and kept warm for hours in a slow cooker or on the stove. However, if you are making it ahead of time to serve at another point, be sure to strain out and discard the spices, then store it either in the pan you made it in, with a lid on, or in an airtight container (I like to use mason jars) in the refrigerator until you’re ready to enjoy. Then simply start re-heating it over low heat, either on the stove or in a crockpot, about an hour before you're ready to serve it. It may get a little thicker and the flavors may get too concentrated as it sits in the fridge, but you can simply add a little more red wine when you heat it up. It may get a little thicker and the flavors may get too concentrated as it sits in the fridge, but you can simply add a little more red wine when you heat it up.
DON’T OVERHEAT THE WINE
While it’s important to warm the wine, avoid boiling it. High heat can cause the alcohol to evaporate and the flavors to become bitter.
HOW TO AVOID BITTER MULLED WINE
Part of avoiding a bitter mulled wine is dependent on the varietal of wine you use. But if you’re still worried about it being too bitter, remove the rinds from the orange slices before adding them to the wine. You can also add the orange slices later in the mulling price, leaving the slices in only for a few minutes. Lastly, you can add more sweetener/sugar.
INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS
FOR THE DRIED FRUIT- Feel free to use any kind you like, cranberries, apples, apricots, etc. They’re all delicious, albeit non-traditional, options.
FOR THE COGNAC AND BRANDY- You can omit the brandy and cognac entirely if your prefer.
CUSTOMIZE YOUR SPICES
Feel free to experiment with different spices based on your personal preferences. Add a pinch of chili flakes for a little heat or molasses for a bit of extra warmth and spiced sweetness.
MIX AND MATCH SWEETENERS
I love using a mix of sweeteners, so instead of doing just brown sugar, I'll do half maple syrup and half molasses. Feel free to experiment and mix and match to find a sweetener combo that you like, or keep it easy and just use one. A spiced or citrus honey is also great to throw in the mix if you have it, otherwise plain honey will do the trick.
WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVER MULLED WINE
Leftovers can be stored directly in the pot. Just place the lid on and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days. This also makes it super easy to reheat. However, you do want to make sure you strain the wine and discard the mulling spices firts.
You can also transfer it to a jar or container with an airtight lid, then transfer it back to a pan and reheat it on the stove when you’re ready for me (this is a great option if you only want to reheat a small amount at a time).
Best Pairings for Mulled Wine
Mulled wine is a versatile drink that pairs well with a variety of foods. Whether you’re hosting a holiday party or enjoying a quiet evening by the fire, these food pairings will elevate your mulled wine experience-
CHEESE: Pair your mulled wine with hard cheeses like Gouda, cheddar, a creamy Brie or take a more European/Christmas market approach and pair it with fondue or raclette. The rich flavors of the cheese complement the warmth of the wine beautifully.
CHARCUTERIE: A selection of cured meats, such as prosciutto, salami, or pâté, pairs wonderfully with the spice and fruitiness of mulled wine.
BAKED GOODS: Sweet treats like gingerbread cookies, cinnamon rolls, and fruit tarts go hand-in-hand with mulled wine. The spices in the wine perfectly enhance the flavors of the baked goods. I especially love gingerbread cookies with a glass of mulled wine as an after dinner treat during the cold winter months.
ROASTED NUTS: Candied roasted nuts or almonds, cashews, or pecans roasted with a touch of honey or cinnamon are the perfect snack to accompany mulled wine. Roasted chestnuts are also lovely with mulled wine.
POPCORN: Mulled wine pairs is lovely with popcorn which is perfect for those holiday movie nights.
Mulled Wine Variations to Try
While the classic mulled wine is a crowd favorite, there are several variations to experiment with. Here are a few ideas to add a twist to your mulled wine recipe-
APPLE MULLED WINE: Replace part of the wine with apple cider for a fruitier, lighter version of mulled wine. The apple cider adds sweetness and depth, complementing the spices perfectly.
WHITE MULLED WINE: For a lighter, more aromatic drink, try using white wine instead of red. A dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay works well. Pair with lemon zest and fresh ginger for extra warmth.
SPICED MULLED WINE: Feel free to experiment with different spices based on your personal preferences. Add a pinch of chili flakes for a little heat or trying adding even more ginger, black pepper and cardamom. I also love adding in molasses.
NON-ALCOHOLIC MULLED WINE: If you prefer a non-alcoholic version, you can make mulled wine using grape juice, cranberry juice, or pomegranate juice as a base, and follow the same recipe for spicing and sweetening.
More Holiday Drink Recipes TO SIP ON THIS SEASON
Looking for more festive holiday drink ideas? Here are a few more of my favorite holiday drink recipes to serve during this season-
And if you want to turn this mulled wine into a giftable moment be sure to check out my DIY MULLED WINE KIT. It’s one of my most popular posts and for good reason. I mean, who wouldn’t want to receive a cute little mulled wine kit as a gift?! I list out everything you need to easily put together this simple and approachable gift that’s perfect for holiday gifting for everyone from friends to co-workers to hosts and more.
BECAUSE FOOD TASTES BETTER WHEN IT’S SHARED WITH OTHERS…
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MULLED WINE
Ingredients
- 1 bottle (750 ml) of red wine of your choice
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 6-10 whole cloves
- 2-4 star anise
- 2-4 cardamom pods, slightly crushed (optional)
- 1/8 teaspoon dried ginger or 1 slice of fresh ginger (optional)
- A pinch of fresh ground black pepper (optional)
- 1 vanilla bean, sliced in half (optional)
- 1/4 cup brandy or cognac
- 2-4 tablespoons of honey, maple syrup or brown sugar + more to taste
- 1 orange, sliced (optional- remove the rind to prevent the wine from getting too bitter)
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a large pot and give them a quick stir.
- Place the pot on a medium-low heat burner and allow everything to simmer for at least 30 minutes, or up to 3 hours. Avoid letting the wine start to boil or bubble in any way so as avoid having the alcohol vaporize. Keep the pot partially covered and be sure to give it a stir every once in a while.
- Strain out the spices and orange slices. If you’d like to add in dried fruit, this is the time to do so. Just add the strained wine back to the pot, add in the dried fruit and let everything simmer for a few minutes so that the fruit can soak up the flavors of the wine.
- Serve the wine in mugs or heatproof glasses topped with the garnish(es) of your choice.
Notes
SERVING NOTES
This is perfect for holiday festivities and parties. Not only does it smell great, but it serves a lot of people, it's easy to throw together and it doesn't require much effort or maintenance. It goes great with appetizers, as well as popcorn for those holiday movie nights.
CAN THIS RECIPE BE DOUBLED OR TRIPLED?
This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for large gatherings. Just make sure that you’re using a big enough pot, something like a stockpot.
CAN THE WINE BE MULLED IN ADVANCE?
You can prepare this up to a day in advance. In fact, the flavors get even richer and deeper the more time it has to meld together.
If you are making it ahead of time, just store it either in the pan you made it in, with a lid on, or in an airtight container, in the refrigerator until you’re ready to enjoy. Then start re-heating it over low heat about an hour before you're ready to serve it. It may get a little thicker and the flavors may get too concentrated as it sits in the fridge, but you can simply add a little more red wine when you heat it up.
WHAT ABOUT LEFTOVERS?
Leftovers can be stored directly in the pot. Just place the lid on and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days. This also makes it super easy to reheat. However, you do want to make sure you strain the wine and discard the mulling spices firts.
You can also transfer it to a jar or container with an airtight lid, then transfer it back to a pan and reheat it on the stove when you’re ready for me (this is a great option if you only want to reheat a small amount at a time).
WHAT ABOUT INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS?
FOR THE DRIED FRUIT- Feel free to use any kind you like, cranberries, apples, apricots, etc. They’re all delicious, albeit non-traditional, options.
FOR THE COGNAC AND BRANDY- You can omit the brandy and cognac entirely.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
267Fat
1 gSat. Fat
0 gCarbs
22 gFiber
2 gNet carbs
20 gSugar
13 gProtein
1 gSodium
11 mgCholesterol
0 mgThis information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. Although we attempt to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates and come from online calculators. Variations may occur due to substitutions used, food preparation, freshness of ingredients and product availability, among other factors.You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information obtained is accurate.
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