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If there is one aroma that typifies Christmas celebrations, it has to be Mulled Wine. The warm aroma of a dark, fruity red wine, subtle spices, and citrus fruit is the perfect drink for a December night.

 

The number of recipe variations is vast, but they all have some central ingredients, and you are free to add your favorite secret spice. The most important part of the mulled wine for Christmastime is the choice of red wine.

 

 

Mulled wine is going to be red, so you need to find one that has characteristics that will combine perfectly with the spices and fruit. The three most popular reds having the right elements are Grenache, Merlot, and Zinfandel.

 

You don’t want to choose a wine with strong tannins, so avoid cabernet sauvignon. You also need a wine with a good body, so Pinot Noir may be a little out of place for Mulled Wine. Next, you will need whole rather than ground spices. Sticks of cinnamon, whole cloves, and star anise are the three traditional spices.

 

If you would like to add cardamom pods, that would be perfectly in order. It’s your choice, but just a small cautionary note. A little spice goes a long way, and you want the wine to be the dominant flavor. Remember, it is always easy to add a little more spice after tasting.

 

 

Oranges are the traditional addition to Mulled wine; happily, they are at their juiciest roundabout Christmastime. Try to find oranges that are on the small side with thin skins. Rounds of sliced oranges will look truly appetizing in glasses, so be selective when buying them.

 

Honey is another critical element to add for balance. Alcohol takes on a harsher character when warm. Even the thought of drinking a little warm Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon on a summer afternoon sounds unappetizing. So, add the honey to balance the alcohol released by warming the wine. If you like, you are welcome to replace the honey with an equal amount of Maple Syrup.

 

Another little cautionary note here about the cooking temperature. Keep it low. You don’t want to boil the wine. As soon as you see the wine beginning to steam a little, turn the stove down to the lowest heat setting.

 

 

Mulled wine is best served in mugs, and if you have clear glass mugs, those would be the best to show off the wine’s beautiful deep red and the fruit’s bright colors. Adding a teaspoonful of cranberries to the serving always adds an extra appeal.

 

Toasted and sugar-coated nuts are an ideal snack to serve with your Mulled wine, but the all-time favorite treat to go with Mulled wine is the German Christmas biscuits, Pfeffernusse.

 

 

Spanish wines are ideally suited for making Mulled wine, and one of the favorites is a blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha. The 138 Spanish wine regions make Spain the second-largest producer of wine worldwide.

 

The two leading red wine-producing regions are Rioja and Ribera del Duero, which have a winemaking history dating back to Phoenician times.

 

 

This wine benefits from a long maturation process where the Tempranillo grapes spend thirty-six months in American oak barrels and the Garnacha have thirty months in oak. The result is a wine with fruit well matched with spice and vanilla. The softer tannins are exactly what is required for a delightful Mulled wine.

 

 

This is another prime example of the great and traditional wines of the Rioja region. The wine is made from one hundred percent Tempranillo grapes harvested and matured in the traditional way before being allowed to rest in oak barrels for two years.

 

The vines are over forty years old and grow in chalky soils about six hundred metres above sea level. The youthfulness of the wine is further enhanced by the traditional racking methods employed to reduce the sediment without detracting from the flavor of the wine.

 

The result is a wine of rich fruit consisting of dark plums and cherries with the added attraction of gentle spices from the oak maturation.

 

 

A wine from the Ribera del Duero region follows traditional destemming methods before fermentation. The wine has a gorgeously intense ruby red hue which is a good indication of the dominant fruit flavors of the wine.

 

The intense flavors of dark red berries are delicately matched by the nuances of spice emanating from the two years spent in oak barrels.

 

The tannins are soft and smooth and will welcome the gentle introduction of honey or maple syrup to make a superb Mulled Wine.

 

 

The grapes are organically grown in the relatively arid, chalky soils of the Comunidad Valenciana, about 800 metres above sea level.

 

The wonderfully rich and well-rounded fruit is developed by the initial fermentation in fifty to eighty-hectolitre oak tanks to which a small amount of stem is added. Finally, the young wine undergoes further maturation in small oak and stainless steel barrels.

 

The result is a wine of full and robust fruit, nicely balanced by well-rounded, smooth tannins.

 

 

Having a special wine for the festive season creates a warm and inviting atmosphere for friends and family to enjoy. Mulled wine has such a wonderful association with happy festive times that it is worth adding to your festive fare.