{"id":1764,"date":"2017-01-08T09:06:17","date_gmt":"2017-01-08T09:06:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wine-and-spirits.md\/en\/?p=1764"},"modified":"2017-01-08T09:06:50","modified_gmt":"2017-01-08T09:06:50","slug":"mulling-over-mulled-wine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wine-and-spirits.md\/en\/mulling-over-mulled-wine\/","title":{"rendered":"Mulling Over Mulled Wine"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sugar, citrus, spices and heat transform wine into a warming winter beverage. Find out the history behind mulled wine and get a recipe to make it at home.<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n

For many Americans, to heat up wine may seem like sacrilege. However, the process of mulling\u2014adding sugar, spices and fruit to a heated drink\u2014is one of the oldest cocktail techniques in the world.<\/p>\n

Records of mulled wine date back to 300 B.C. and the Egyptians, who dubbed their creation the \u201celixir of the afterlife.\u201d Greek philosopher Hippocrates was said to prescribe spiced wine as a medicinal tonic, as did Pliny the Elder much later during Roman times. As the Romans traveled north, so did their penchant for mulled wine.<\/p>\n

One of the countries with deep cultural ties to mulled wine is Great Britain, with mentions of the drink popping up in medieval cookbooks. The heat and spices helped cover up the astringency of poorly made, oxidized wine, and for a time was considered healthier than the drinking water.<\/p>\n

Bordeaux\u2019s clarets were the base wine of choice, according to 16th-century references books. A version of mulled wine, called \u201cSmoking Bishop,\u201d is mentioned in the Charles Dickens novel,\u00a0A Christmas Carol<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Today, giant crock pots are set atop the bars of a large number of pubs in Britain, and few families would let Christmas Day pass without a pot of wine mulling on the stove.<\/p>\n

The Global Flavors of Mulled Wine<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There are as many different names for mulled wine as there are recipes, but the most common ingredients include sugar, citrus (oranges, lemons and\/or limes), cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, star anise and cardamom. Here is what you might find in variations on the hot spiced wine drink around the world:<\/p>\n

Gl\u00fchwein, Germany\/Austria:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>brandy or rum<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Vin Chaud, France:<\/strong>\u00a0Cognac<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Vinho Quente, Portugal\/Brazil:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Port and Madeira<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Vino Caliente, Spain:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Vanilla bean and Brandy de Jerez<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Gl\u00f8gg, Norway:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Aquavit, raisins and sliced almonds<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Greyano Vino, Bulgaria:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Honey and peppercorn<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Caribou, Quebec:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Whiskey and maple syrup<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Mulled\u00a0Memories<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In the U.S., mulled wine has not enjoyed the same widespread popularity as elsewhere. However, mulled wine can be found increasingly at bars and restaurants in cold-weather states and on holiday dinner tables.<\/p>\n

Jason Zuliani, co-owner of\u00a0Dedalus Wines<\/a>\u00a0in Burlington, Vermont, explains his relationship to mulled wine, as well as ordering tips for the best wines to use as the drink\u2019s base.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never thought I\u2019d be into mulled wine,\u201d says Zuliani. \u201cLet\u2019s face it, under most circumstances, I just want to drink what the winemaker put in the bottle. My next door neighbor, Iris, makes a killer Gl\u00fchwein. Over the last couple of years, I\u2019ve actually found myself looking forward to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt turns out that a full-bodied red with little to no oak on it makes for an awesome, toe-tingling, belly-warming mulled wine,\u201d Zuliani continues. \u201cThis year, we used a few bottles of Clos la Coutale Cahors, a Malbec from southern France. The wine is delicious and lends a bit of\u00a0garrigue<\/em>\u00a0to the spice mix Iris uses in her Gl\u00fchwein.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Natasha David, owner of the New York City cocktail bar\u00a0Nitecap<\/a>, mulled wine warms her heart as well as her belly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love mulled wine,\u201d says David. \u201cI grew up in Germany, so mulled wine is very nostalgic for me. Germany has absolutely amazing Christmas markets, and I remember walking through them as a child, the mulling spices filling the air. I always make a pot of mulled wine on Christmas Day. Nothing is quite as festive and comforting, in my opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nightingale\u2019s Mulled Wine Recipe<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Carrie McCabe-Johnston \/ Nightingale<\/p>\n

Carrie McCabe-Johnston, co-owner of food and cocktail lounge\u00a0Nightingale<\/a>\u00a0in Minneapolis, has included mulled wine on her winter menu since 2013, and has seen its popularity grow.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a woman call in October to see if it had hit the menu yet. It gets so cold in Minneapolis in the winter months that [mulled wine] is a perfect warming drink,\u201d McCabe-Johnston recently said on a day when the temperature was -13\u00b0F.<\/p>\n

Ingredients<\/em><\/i><\/p>\n