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Home » RECIPE » Drinks » Mulled Wine Recipe

Mulled Wine Recipe

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By: Shinee Published: 12/14/2020Updated: 12/11/2022

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Perfect homemade mulled wine recipe with 7 simple ingredients and make-ahead tips included. Spice up your holiday with this warm & cozy winter drink.

Mulled wine in a glass garnished with fresh cranberries and slice of orange.
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Table of Contents

  • What is Mulled Wine?
  • Why you’ll love this recipe:
  • Key Ingredients:
  • How to make this recipe:
  • What type of wine is best for mulled wine?
  • What to Serve with Mulled Wine:
  • Make-ahead Tip:
  • FAQ:
  • Mulled Wine

What is Mulled Wine?

Mulled wine, also known as glühwein in German, is a warm spiced wine popular in Europe, especially around Christmas time.

It’s typically made with red wine simmered with mulling spices.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

Over the years, I’ve had various versions of mulled wine. Mulled wine made with glühwein teabags was my first introduction into the world of spiced wine. Then I’ve had it in a paper cup at a Parisian outdoor market. I’ve also tried a ready-to-use mulled wine spice mix, etc.

And I have to say homemade version is just as simple, and incredibly delicious!

  • Super simple to make
  • Pantry staples!!
  • No star anise, if it’s not your thing.
  • Customize it to your taste.

Key Ingredients:

My basic starting point is always the same:

  • a whole orange
  • whole cloves
  • orange juice
  • granulated sugar
  • cinnamon sticks

Sometimes I grate a little bit of nutmeg, sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I add cranberries, sometimes I don’t.

Why whole spices

When making mulled wine, it’s recommended to use whole spices, like whole cloves, cinnamon sticks or whole star anise.

The reason for that is you won’t get weird powdery texture in your spiced wine.

Also, fresh spices are easier to strain!

Whole cloves on a wooden spoon.

How to make this recipe:

It couldn’t be simpler to make this mulled wine!!

  1. Push a few cloves into the skin of an orange, and then cut the orange into quarters.
  2. Combine orange juice, cranberries, sugar, oranges with cloves in a pot.
  3. Cook the mixture until syrup-y.
  4. Then pour in wine and heat it through.

Tip

Once wine is added, be careful not to boil it, or the alcohol will evaporate, which is no big deal, but why would you do that??

Studding oranges with whole cloves takes away the hassle of fishing out tiny little cloves!

You’ll still get that warm cloves aroma in your wine.

A wedge of orange, studded with whole cloves.

What type of wine is best for mulled wine?

Any dry, full-bodied wine works perfectly!

Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah, or Pinot Noir are all great choices. And nothing fancy here, but something that you like to sip on on its own too!

What to Serve with Mulled Wine:

If you’re planning a menu to serve along with spiced wine, consider the following appetizer and main dishes:

  • Baked brie makes a perfect appetizer to serve with a cup of warm wine.
  • Prime rib is a classic holiday centerpiece and pairs perfectly with red wine!
  • Pork schnitzel is a traditional pairing for glühwein in Germany and Austria.
  • Bacon wrapped filet mignon is also a great choice.

Make-ahead Tip:

Mulled wine is a perfect holiday party drink! And you can totally make it ahead and even double it, if you want to.

  • Make the spiced orange syrup in advance. And when ready to serve, mix it with wine and warm it up.
  • Or better yet, place it in a slow cooker to keep it warm longer!!
Mulled wine in a glass garnished with fresh cranberries and slice of orange.

FAQ:

What are the best wine for mulled wine?

Any dry, full-bodied wine works perfectly!
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah, or Pinot Noir are all great choices. And nothing fancy here, but something that you like to sip on on its own too!

What spices do you use for mulled wine?

Cinnamon, star anise and clove are the classic spices in mulled wine. But you can always add some freshly grated nutmeg, cardamom,

Mulled wine in a glass garnished with fresh cranberries and slice of orange.

Mulled Wine

Perfect mulled wine recipe with 7 simple ingredients and make-ahead tips included. Spice up your holiday with this warm & cozy winter drink.
5 from 10 votes
serves: 4 servings
Total : 30 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1 orange
  • 8-10 whole cloves
  • 1 cup (240ml) orange juice
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup cranberries fresh or frozen, optional
  • 1-2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 bottle (750ml) dry red wine Note 1
Note: I test all my recipes with both measurements for the most precise and accurate result!

Instructions

  • Cut an orange into quarters. Push 2-3 whole cloves into the outer skin of quartered oranges, as pictured above.
  • In a large pot, combine orange juice, sugar, cinnamon sticks, orange quarters with cloves and cranberries.
  • Turn the heat to medium high and slowly heat the mixture, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved.
  • Once sugar is dissolved completely, bring it to a boil and cook until it thickened and reduced by almost half, about 15-20 minutes.
  • Reduce the heat to low and pour in wine.
  • Simmer until wine is heated through. Don’t boil, or alcohol will evaporate.
  • You can strain the wine and pour into a slow cooker to keep it warm. Garnish with orange slices and serve warm.

Tips & Notes:

Note 1: Any dry, full-bodied wine works perfectly! Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah, or Pinot Noir are all great choices. And nothing fancy here, but something that you like to sip on on its own too!
Make-Ahead Tip: Follow the steps 1-4. Keep the syrup in fridge for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, mix it with wine in a large pot and warm it up. Or better yet, place it in a slow cooker to keep it warm longer!!

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 305kcal (15%) Carbohydrates: 43g (14%) Protein: 1g (2%) Fat: 1g (2%) Saturated Fat: 1g (6%) Sodium: 2mg Potassium: 194mg (6%) Fiber: 2g (8%) Sugar: 34g (38%) Vitamin A: 198IU (4%) Vitamin C: 50mg (61%) Calcium: 31mg (3%) Iron: 1mg (6%)
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full disclosure here.
Author: Shinee
Course:Drinks
Cuisine:American
Mulled wine in a glass garnished with fresh cranberries and slice of orange.
Did you make this?Show me your creation! Tag me @shineshka and hashtag it #sweetandsavorybyshinee!
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This post was originally published on November 28th, 2014.

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  1. Joy Willis says

    Posted on 26 December 2021 at 5:59 pm

    5 stars
    My family looks forward to drinking this every Christmas and New Years. It’s so easy to make and is absolutely delicious. I make the syrup on the stove and put it in the crockpot with the wine on warm for everyone to enjoy!

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 27 December 2021 at 5:39 pm

      That sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing your experience, Joy!

      Reply
  2. Kay says

    Posted on 25 December 2020 at 3:44 pm

    5 stars
    Awesome recipe!!! SOO GOOD!

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 26 December 2020 at 9:51 am

      So happy you loved it. Thank you for your feedback, Kay!

      Reply
  3. Linda Townsend says

    Posted on 19 December 2020 at 5:01 am

    5 stars
    So easy and really tasty. It went down a treat at our Christmas market.

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 21 December 2020 at 2:24 pm

      Yay, so happy you tried it. Thank you for your feedback, Linda!!

      Reply
  4. Joy says

    Posted on 5 December 2020 at 3:39 pm

    5 stars
    Simple, delicious, clever idea about sticking the cloves in the wedges of orange. Cannot believe how I’ve struggled with The Joy of Cooking’s convoluted prep. Holiday wishes to you!

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 5 December 2020 at 10:52 pm

      Thank you, Joy!! So happy you found my recipe and liked it. I appreciate your feedback!

      Reply
  5. Joy Willis says

    Posted on 12 March 2020 at 7:14 am

    5 stars
    I made this Christmas and it was a hit!   Everyone loved it and I have made it several times since.   It’s delicious and simple to make.  Our very favorite mulled wine recipe!

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 13 March 2020 at 2:03 pm

      Yay, so happy you’re enjoying this recipe!! It’s our favorite too, Joy! Thank you for your feedback.

      Reply
  6. Jessica says

    Posted on 27 December 2019 at 12:22 pm

    If I warm this in the crockpot and we have some left, is it ok to refrigerate and reheat it? 

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 27 December 2019 at 7:18 pm

      Sure, I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t. Hope you enjoy it, Jessica!

      Reply
  7. Joy Willis says

    Posted on 25 December 2019 at 7:53 am

    5 stars
    Made this Christmas Eve.   It was a hit.  Absolutely delicious.   Will make this a tradition for sure!!

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 25 December 2019 at 2:22 pm

      So happy you loved the recipe. Thank you for your feedback, Joy! Merry Christmas!

      Reply
  8. Joy Willis says

    Posted on 31 December 2018 at 6:42 am

    5 stars
    Made this Christmas Eve.   We loved it! Will be making this recipe again 

    Reply
  9. Gauri says

    Posted on 25 December 2018 at 10:40 am

    5 stars
    Turned out super yummy! Thanks

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 25 December 2018 at 11:19 am

      Awesome. Thank you for your feedback. Merry Christmas, Gauri!

      Reply
  10. Crystal says

    Posted on 17 November 2018 at 7:18 pm

    5 stars
    Mmm this is so yummy!! I added some brandy to mine and it is such a sweet and cozy drink!!

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 18 November 2018 at 10:32 am

      Brandy sounds great, Crystal! Thank you for your feedback.

      Reply
  11. Jane Davidson | Typically Jane says

    Posted on 17 November 2018 at 4:44 pm

    I’m so excited I stumbled on this recipe. It’s perfect for a holiday dinner I’m going to tomorrow night!

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 18 November 2018 at 10:31 am

      So glad you found this, Jane. You all are going to love it. Let me know. And have fun!!!

      Reply

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