What exactly is mulled wine? How is it different from normal wine?

Answer 1

It has added herbs and spices (eg cinnamon), sugar and is often let down with orange juice before being warmed gently on the stove.

Answer 2

Regular wine is simply the femented aged type served directly from the bottle or decantur - Mulled Wine takes a little finese:

The history of Mulled wines date back to medieval times where these wines were named after the physician Hippocrates and called Ypocras or Hipocris. Thought to be very healthy, considering wine at the time being more sanitary than drinking water, these heated drinks probably did sustain their health through the cold winter months..
Before you get started there are a few mulled wine rules.

1. Any red wine will do, but you don't have to spend much money, after all you're going to alter the taste considerably. Try a wine from Portugal, Spain, Hungary Italy, or Chile. The one thing they typically have in common is a deep full fruit flavor and lots of rustic structure - perfect for mulling.

2. Never let the wine boil. If it's boiled it's spoiled. The flavor of the wine/spice combination will deteriorate if the mixture reaches the boiling point, so keep an eye on the stove. Actually, microwaving mulled wine by the glass or mug full is a better choice. The microwave process concentrates the flavor elements that can dissipate when mulled wine is made on the stove in an open-mouthed pot, back into the drink. I usually find that one-minute on high heat works best but get there in 20-second increments to ensure the mulled wine doesn't reach the boiling point.
3. Sugar in included in my ingredients list, because some find that added sugar soothes the tangy flavor the mulled wine can express after being warmed up. Some prefer diluting the mulled wine with herbal or citrus tea. Tea (especially citrus or herbal oriented varieties) not only softens the flavor but it adds subtle elements that the mulled wine doesn't have on its own. If tea or sugar isn't to your liking try balancing the flavor by adding a little water to the blend before pouring.

4. One last thing. Since it's the holidays a candy cane as a garnish not only adds a nice peppermint flavor to the mulled wine, it looks terrific and really evokes the liquid personality of the season.

A Modern yet Traditional Mulled Wine Recipe:

2 lemons
2 oranges
1 - 750 ml bottle of medium, to full, bodied red wine Nutmeg (to taste)
Cloves (to taste)
1 oz brandy or Cognac (or to taste)
1 cup (250 ml) granulated sugar (optional)
Herbal or citrus influenced tea (optional but excellent)
Water (optional softener instead of tea)
4 large cinnamon sticks
4 candy canes


Instructions for making four large portions
-Cut lemons and oranges into slices.
-Pour the red wine into saucepan and gradually heat.
-Add fruit slices, nutmeg, cloves and brandy.
-Keep an eye on the mixture and wait until it becomes hot to the touch.
-At this point you could blend in sugar or water (if desired).
-Pour into glasses/mugs and add tea (to taste).
-Garnish with cinnamon stick and candy cane.

Serve

Answer 3

Good mulled wine is lovely. Warning, if you are asking this question because you have seen a ready made bottle in the shops - please do not buy it!!! Make it yourself. Buying ready mulled wine is like those awful bottles of ready made sangria you can buy - dreadful!

Mulled wine is good quality ordinary red wine, which is warmed through with a variety of spices. I add a few crushed coriander seeds, a cinnamon stick broken in half, the 2 ends of an orange studded with cloves, some freshly grated ginger and a star anise.

You dont let it boil, just heat through. After about 15 mins heating, strain out the lumps, add the juice of one orange, the rind of one orange (grated) and a good glug of brandy. Serve warm - garnish with a slice of orange and a cinamon stick and eat with mince pies!

Lovely!

Answer 4

It is a (originally) Northern European drink usually served in the winter months. It is steamed, spiced wine. Everyone does it slightly differently, but cloves, nutmeg, etc are in the mix. The steaming takes the alcohol out of the wine (don't stick your head in the fumes...). It can taste great.

It differs from normal wine in that you don't steam or spice wine normally. Some wines are better for mulling than others. good luck.

Answer 5

Mulled wine is wine, usually red wine, combined with spices and usually served hot. In the old times wine often went bad, but by adding spices and honey it could be made drinkable again. Nowadays it is a traditional drink during winter, and especially around Christmas, to warm you up.

Answer 6

Mulled wine is served hot,and contains spices that gives it that special smell which reminds you so much of Christmas.
Normal wine,is just that.Boring and flat.

Answer 7

Mulled wine is wine that has been thought about a lot, very carefully, or 'mulled over', hence the name. It tends to bake it hot and spicy.

Answer 8

mulled wine is normal wine taken to a boil temperature and mixed with spices such as cinnamon and cloves and a hint of sugar and some refreshing fruits as orange and apple! make your own at home for a party or to sip during a cold night!! its great!

Answer 9

Mulled wine is usually a red wine that has been heated and then spice with cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, and ginger and some citrus slices have been added. It is served hot.

Answer 10

Mulled wine is served hot.

Answer 11

You drink mulled wine hot.