Although we think every day is a great day to drink wine, today is even more special. It's National Mulled Wine Day! Here in Indiana we are just on the verge of the end of winter, so it's a great reason to have one last mug before spring.
Mulled wine is generally red or white wine (more usually red) warmed up and flavored with various fruits and “mulling spices.” It originated and is still very popular in many European countries. I don't have a favorite recipe of my own (I often use the Cooper's Hawk Winter Red or Winter White on its own), so I took to Pinterest to find some interesting variations.
You will see that most recipes call for 4 main ingredients: wine (usually red but sometimes white), species (usually cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, etc), citrus (slices or peel), some sweetener.
Don't bother using an expensive wine because the subtle flavors will be lost once you add the other ingredients. Something in the $10-15 range is perfect!
This recipe from the Food Network keeps it simple with red wine, apple cider, orange, honey, and spices.
Although less traditional, you can also mull white wine. This is a nice twist on warm apple cider made with white wine.
Have both red and white! This pair of recipes is the best of both worlds and brings in more fruit than the other two. Additions such as vanilla bean and maple syrup also set these mulled wines apart.
If you are looking for something truly unique, check out this recipe for Mulled Wine Jelly Candies!
For a list of more special wine days, check out our Annual Wine Holiday Calendar.
