Want to know one of the best things about Mulled Wine? It doesn’t need a special wine. Mulled Wine takes so much of its flavour from the addition of fruit and spices that the best wine for it is a basic red. That means nothing too fancy or nuanced that will get drowned out in the mix. The best wine to use in Mulled Wine? We think it has to be a medium to full-bodied red, like shiraz, grenache or merlot.
The world of Mulled Wine is a wild one. There are no rules, no limitations, and recipes vary between countries, cities and families. When the temperature dips, people all over the world head indoors to brew a batch of Mulled Wine, sharing their creation with friends, family and sure, even strangers. It’s a tradition that isn’t ending anytime soon.
The process of mulling – that is, adding fruits, spices and sugar to a hot drink – has been around since the peak of the Roman Empire, more than 1000 years ago. The warm wine helped the soldiers survive long, cold winters, and as the reach of the Roman Empire spread across Europe, so too did Mulled Wine.
The Swedes call it glögg, the Germans mix up glühwein, the Italians sip on vin brulé, and the Russians? Glintwein. And while recipes differ from place to place, the core elements are the same: red wine, brandy, cinnamon and cloves. You'll find it spicing up European Christmas markets and there’s no doubt it’s a cold-weather drink, so make the most of the (admittedly mild) Australian winter and rug up with a cup of it on the couch. Christmas in July, anyone?
The list of ingredients might seem a little lengthy, but don’t let that put you off. If you don’t already have these spices in your collection, they’re easy to source or you can play around with others that you may prefer. It’s an easy process to bring it all together, and your house will smell pretty amazing, too.
