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

FAQs

How do you keep the alcohol content in mulled wine? ›

The heat used in mulling encourages greater flavours from the citrus and the spices but also reduces the alcohol content, hence the common addition of a slug of spirit or liqueur just before serving.

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.

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.

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.

You can reheat mulled wine as many times as you like, as long as it hasn't been overheated. Always use a thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature. If you plan to use your leftover mulled wine at a later date, keep it in the fridge for up to three days.

Hailed as the world's most expensive, it costs £10 more than last year's bankrupter - the £50 Mayfair Mulled Wine from Hush in west London. The so-called Cinnamoney Spiced Wine's unique ingredients include a premium Bordeaux, a fine Champagne, a Normandie 'cidre' and a dessert wine.

Right Temperature: Serve mulled wine warm, but not too hot. Aim for a temperature that's comfortable to sip, similar to a warm cup of tea. Appropriate Glassware: Use heat-resistant glasses or mugs. Traditional glass wine goblets might crack with the heat, so opt for thicker, sturdier glasses or even festive mugs.

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.

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.

How can I improve my shop bought mulled wine? ›

Serve them in little glass cups with handles, add a bit of orange peel and nobody will know that you didn't make it yourself. And finally, whether you're buying it in or making it yourself, a glug of port, sloe gin or even rum before serving will lift the whole thing.

As a wine gets older, its tannins tend to break down due to oxidation or other chemical reactions. This can tone down its bitterness.

One important thing to remember when making your mulled wine – don't boil or heat it for too long! You'll cook off all the alcohol and be left with tasty but boozeless mulled grape juice.

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

Leave to simmer on a low heat for 10 mins. Turn off the heat and cover, leaving the wine to infuse. We like to leave the Wine overnight but recommend a few hours as a minimum.

As a reference, here's a helpful rule of thumb: After 30 minutes of cooking, alcohol content decreases by 10 percent with each successive half-hour of cooking, up to 2 hours. That means it takes 30 minutes to boil alcohol down to 35 percent and you can lower that to 25 percent with an hour of cooking.

It can take over 2 hours for most of the alcohol to evaporate out of wine if you're using boiling as a method.

The science: Alcohol does partially evaporate during cooking, but not as much as you might think. Depending on the cooking method and how much alcohol is used, anywhere from 4 to 85 percent of the alcohol may remain. After 15 minutes of cooking, about 40 percent of the alcohol remains.

Very little alcohol will cook off. The boiling point of ethanol is 79C - you should WARM mulled wine and certainly not bring it anywhere near close to 79C.