Mulled Wine Bursting with Flavor.
With just six ingredients, mulled wine is something that you can truly whip up on a whim. It’s the perfect drink not for a holiday party—although it is great for those, too—but rather for a “post dinner drop-in" or last minute get together. A heavenly medley of wine and spices with a hint of fruit, steeped over the stove until bursting with flavor—mulled wine is our favorite way warm these cold winter nights.
Tips For Making Mulled Wine
We’ve kept it simple and classic with our mulled wine recipe—it’s infused with whole cloves, whole star anise, and cinnamon sticks.
- Use whole spices—not ground. Not only do whole spices look pretty in the pot, they allow the flavors of the clove, cinnamon and anise to infuse the wine with their warmth without changing the consistency of the mulled wine, as ground spices might.
- Make sure your spices are fresh. Whole spices, like those called for in our recipe, last longer than ground—yay! Whole spices are usually good for 3-4 years after purchase. If you think yours might be older than that, toss them.
- The longer you let this simmer, the more spiced your mulled wine will become. This is a good thing—until it’s not. Don’t let this simmer to death—once you’ve hit 30 minutes, cover the mulled wine to keep it warm, but turn the heat off.
What Wine is Best for Mulled Wine?
Because mulled wine is simmered for about half an hour, you will lose a bit of alcohol, so we like to use red wines that are naturally a bit higher in alcohol. You don’t need to use an expensive wine, but do use something that tastes good to you on its own—you can’t make delicious mulled wine with a not-at-all delicious wine. Here are a few varietals that we think make the best mulled wine :
- Zinfandel: Often bursting with fruit and jammy flavors, wine made from the Zinfandel grape are a great fit for mulled wine.
- Cabernet Sauvignon: A big, juicy, high (for wine) alcohol wine, Cab is another winning choice.
- Syrah: Our favorite red wine for mulled wine just might be Syrah. Silky, rich and just a bit tannic, with dark fruit-and-spice notes, it makes for some serious mulled wine magic.
Top Five Reasons to Make Mulled Wine Tonight
As if you needed a reason. But, in case you do:
- Making a batch of mulled wine a great excuse to have people over.
- You (probably) already have all of the ingredients on hand.
- It’s Christmastime, and you could use a drink.
- Mulled wine simmering on the stove will make your whole house smell like Christmas. If Bing Crosby’s voice is the sound of Christmas, simmering mulled wine is the scent.
- You don’t have to have people over to make mulled wine! Maybe you just want to have some mulled wine tonight with your partner, in your pajamas, on the couch. And that’s great, too! Mulled wine for two? Yes please. Pass the cookies.
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More Warming Festive Drinks
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