Wait, it’s already December? That means two things. You’ve nearly successfully completed 2021 and Christmas is right around the corner. If you’re like most people then there’s a high chance you’ll be sipping some mulled with this festive season. So, we thought what better time than to share with you a recipe for the most magnificent mulled wine.

Mulled Wine dates right back to the 2nd Century. The Romans came up with the idea of heating wine in order to protect their bodies against cold in the winter. Any excuse for a drink! Fast forward 19 centuries and humans are still doing the same thing, some things never change. So whether you’re looking for new ways to protect your bodies from cold or just to get a bit merry this Christmas Club Vino have the recipe for you!

What’s in the pot? (serves 2-4)

We’d suggest doubling or tripling quantities if you’re mulling for larger groups.

1 Bottle of Malbec

Really the type of wine you use to mull is entirely up to you! When it comes to choosing a bottle, there are a whole array of options to tickle your festive tastebuds. But for this particular recipe we have used a bottle of Enrico T Malbec 2014, Bodega Tittarelli, Mendoza from Argentina. This is a powerhouse of a Red Wine, bursting with spiced stewed fruits of the forest with a vanilla backbone. Therefore making it the perfect wine to mull alongside a selection of fruits and spices, yummy!

Whole Spices

Spices are so important when making mulled wine! We’d recommend using whole spices rather than ground ones, helping you achieve a more authentic flavour. When it comes to spices, for each bottle of wine, you’ll want to use 2 Star Anise, 2 small cinnamon sticks and 4 cloves.

Fresh Oranges

Squeezing some fresh orange juice in to the pot really helps to bring a taste of Christmas to the mulled wine, we’d suggest juicing between 1 and 2 oranges in to mix. You’ll also want to save some rounded segments to throw in to the mix too.

Maple Syrup or Honey

When heated, the flavour of the alcohol becomes more defined. Because of this, it’s important to balance this out using something sweet. We like to use Maple Syrup for this, however other alternatives can include honey, or simply just sugar if you’ve a bit a sweeter tooth. If you opt for sugar you’ll want to add 4 tablespoons. However, we find that by using maple syrup the flavour of the wine still comes through nicely without the drink tasting too sweet.

A Dash of Brandy

Whilst it isn’t completely essential, we’ve found brandy helps to spice things up a little. Making this winter warmer even warmer. We’d recommend adding a few measurements to the pot, depending on how merry you’d like your Christmas! Alternatively, if you’d like to up the ante another way, cointreau works as a perfect substitute.

How to Make your Magnificent Mulled Wine

This bit is remarkably simple.

1. Heat all the ingredients together in a pan, on a gentle heat for around 10 minutes.
2. Take your pot off the heat and allow the to the liquid to cool. This will give the wine chance to infuse and take on all of those festive flavours.
3. Pop the pot back on the heat and warm your wine, ready for serving. Just be sure not to bring the liquid to a boil as this will reduce the alcohol content and you probably don’t want that.
4. Serve using a ladle, pouring in to mugs or heatproof glasses, and enjoy!

We just know you’re going to love this rather delectable recipe for mulled wine. Providing you with a guaranteed one way ticket to flavour town this Christmas. Check out the Club Vino shop to find the perfect selection of red wines for mulling. Merry Christmas from the Club Vino team, we hope it’s a special one.