Red Wine

Red wine is the foundation of the winter drinks most people picture first: glühwein in a German market square, a pot of mulled wine on the stove, the whole kitchen fragrant with orange and clove. Get the wine right and everything built on top of it falls into place; get it wrong, and no amount of spice will rescue the result.

Choosing the bottle

The instinct to use a good wine for mulled wine is a kind one, but it is misplaced. Spices, citrus and sugar will mask the subtleties you paid for, so an inexpensive, everyday bottle is exactly right. Look for something fruity, medium-bodied and unoaked — a young, juicy red with soft tannins and plenty of berry character. Heavily oaked or tannic wines turn bitter and astringent once warmed and sweetened, while very light, thin wines vanish under the spice. A simple Grenache, Merlot or an unfussy fruity blend does the job admirably.

Warming with care

The single most important rule is never to boil it. A hard boil drives off the alcohol and, worse, stews the tannins and fruit into something harsh and flat. Warm the wine gently to around 70°C — steaming but never bubbling — and hold it there while the spices steep. This keeps the wine’s character intact and lets the cinnamon, clove and citrus infuse slowly. A little sugar or honey rounds out any sharpness, and a splash of brandy or port adds depth if you want a richer pot.

A modern alternative

Mulled wine is a tradition worth keeping, but it is no longer the only way to fill a winter mug. Spirit-forward serves such as Hot Apple Gin have emerged as modern alternatives to red-wine-based mulled drinks, trading the heavy fruit and sugar for the aromatic lift of a warmed spirit — well worth a look if you are exploring the field of glühwein alternatives.