Mulled wine from young wine. Mulled wine in a bottle

Choosing wine for mulled wine is not such an easy task as it seems at first glance. Not every brand is suitable for making this warming alcoholic drink. Buying a bottle more expensive in this situation will also not be the best idea.

Delicious mulled wine can only be made from the right wine. But how then to be? After all, store shelves are filled with a variety of varieties and brands of wines. Which one is best for making homemade mulled wine?

There are simple rules that will allow you to make the right choice. You just need to follow the advice from this article.

Dry, semi-dry or semi-sweet?

Dry wines are used in classic mulled wine recipes. Such drinks have several qualities that are especially important to us.

Firstly, it is an exclusively natural product without any extraneous additives and impurities. This can be said for sure. After all, the technology for the production of dry wines directly prohibits the addition of any foreign substances to grape juice.

Secondly, dry varieties are surprisingly easy to drink and have a refreshing taste.

In addition, dry wines have a low sugar content of no more than 0.3 grams per 100 cm³. This moment will allow us to independently regulate the final sweetness of mulled wine.

Semi-dry varieties are also suitable for us. They match all of the above. The only difference is their higher sugar content. Such an indicator in them, as a rule, is 3-12 grams per 100 cm³. This will force us to adjust the selected recipe in the direction of using less sugar or honey. However, with the right approach, it will not become critical.

But semi-sweet wines are not the best choice for making mulled wine. The fact is that at present, in their production, wine-making companies, in pursuit of greater profits, significantly violate the classical technology. As a result, foreign substances are added to the drink. And not all of them can be of natural origin. In semi-sweet varieties add: dyes, alcohol, flavors, citric acid and other components not directly related to wine.

The result is a wine drink that vaguely resembles a classic product and is not suitable for making mulled wine out of it. The only exceptions are a few varieties, which will be listed below.

Thus, the best choice for making mulled wine at home will be young dry or semi-dry wine with a strength of at least 7 and no more than 13 degrees from a manufacturer you know.

Red or white?

I have repeatedly had to deal with people who loudly argued that the right mulled wine can only be made from red wine. This is the wrong approach.

It is only necessary to remember that when making homemade, you should follow a few simple rules.

Firstly, the temperature when heating the drink should not be higher than 50 degrees Celsius. This is because white varieties are much more sensitive to high temperatures than red ones. If this point is not taken into account, then the cooked mulled wine will lose most of its useful properties.

Secondly, for white wines, you should choose your own set of ingredients and spices.

Expensive or cheap?

Using expensive aged fine wines to make mulled wine at home is considered a sign of bad taste and bad taste. This is what professional sommeliers and bartenders think.

This is explained very simply. Any expensive wine has a refined, balanced taste and bouquet. If we expose such a drink to high temperatures, then we will simply spoil it.

It is for this reason that it is not customary to prepare mulled wine from wine produced in France, Spain or Italy. It is not for nothing that these European countries are considered trendsetters in wine fashion. The drinks they make are self-sufficient. They must be drunk neat.

Geographical affiliation

Any person who at least once in his life was interested in world wine-growing geography understands that in addition to the three countries listed above, we have more than a rich choice.

The easiest way is to buy a bottle of Russian wine. With the right approach, it will make an excellent mulled wine. You can also turn to our closest neighbors Georgia or Moldova.

If you want to buy an imported drink, pay attention to drinks produced in Greece, Montenegro, South Africa, Chile or the USA.

Specific varieties

Finally, we have reached the moment when specific varieties of wine will be named, from which excellent mulled wine can be made. For the preparation of the drink are best suited: Cabernet, Merlot, Saperavi, Mavrud, Gamza, Vranac, Gamay and Dolcetto.

If you basically want to cook from semi-sweet wines, then choose Kagor, Kindzmaraulli or Khvanchkara.

Is sangria okay?

Frankly, it is far from an obvious basis for home-made mulled wine. Nevertheless, this option has many supporters and fans. I consider it my duty to introduce you to the best of these recipes.

We will need the following ingredients:

• sangria - 2 liters;
• dried juniper berries - 10 pieces;
• ginger root - half a teaspoon;
• nutmeg - 1 teaspoon;
• coriander - half a teaspoon;
• black raisins - 1 teaspoon;
• barberry - 1 teaspoon;
• cinnamon - 1 stick;
• carnation - 8 buds;
• one orange;
• one apple.

correct algorithm.

1. Wash and finely chop the ginger root. Wash the orange and apples. Carefully remove the orange rind from the orange. Divide the orange itself into slices. Remove the core from the apple with seeds. Cut it into 8-10 pieces.

2. Light a small fire and put an enamel pot on it. Pour sangria into it. Then put all the rest of the ingredients in there.

3. Stirring occasionally, heat the drink to a temperature of 70-75 degrees Celsius. Boil it at this temperature for 2-3 minutes. Then cover the pot with a lid and leave for 30-40 minutes.

Homemade original mulled wine is ready.

Fragrant mulled wine is the best remedy for preventing colds and a constant attribute of Christmas markets in Central Europe. It is made from red wine, mixed with spices and sugar and heated to a temperature of 70 degrees. We tell you which wine is best suited for this festive drink.

Is it possible to use homemade wines in the preparation or is it necessary to purchase expensive varieties from grapes of a certain type? There is no single answer to these questions, mulled wine is made from different wines and which one is the best is up to you, and we will give some useful tips on how to brew this drink.

Dry or semi-sweet

The most popular in our country are dry and semi-sweet wines. Which one is best for mulled wine? This question is easy to answer if you study the recipe of the drink. It contains vanilla or cane sugar, many gourmets add honey, sweet raisins. If you use semi-sweet drinks in order to brew mulled wine, then you can easily exceed the sugar rate. This will negatively affect the taste characteristics, especially if you use the cheapest wines, where sugar is one of the main components.

Most of the semi-sweet varieties presented in our stores are created from low-quality wine, improving its taste characteristics with artificial additives. As a result of heating, their composition and properties change, which can completely ruin mulled wine. It is pointless to use expensive semi-sweet wines made from frozen or dried grapes because of their high price and excellent taste, which should be appreciated even without heating with the addition of spices.

Inexpensive dry natural grape wines are perfect. Ideal if it will be products from one particular grape. Expensive drinks are not used for making mulled wine, on the one hand, it is bad manners, it is worth enjoying a complex bouquet in its natural form. On the other hand, elite varieties contain a wide range of tannins in their composition, the heating of which will negatively affect the taste characteristics of the drink.

Choosing dry red wine for mulled wine

The first drink in the style of mulled wine began to be brewed in the Crimea about 7,000 years ago, and what exactly the local winemakers used is hidden in the darkness of centuries. In Europe, Bordeaux was preferred 200-300 years ago, but today this trend has changed. Mulled wine masters believe that light young wines are best suited. At the same time, German winemakers prefer to use varieties with an alcohol content of no more than 7%, and in Italy and France, drinks with an alcohol content of 8.5 to 12.5% ​​are based on drinks.

Which wine to choose for mulled wine? The optimal solution is a young Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. You should definitely pay attention to the year of harvest - on the one hand, its presence is a guarantee of quality, on the other hand, age matters for mulled wine. The younger, the tastier and more expressive it will be in the composition of the drink. Another important point: if there is wine on the counter with an aging of 5-7 years, and at a price it corresponds to the products of the last harvest, then there is a big risk of acquiring low-quality red, the composition of which is close to vinegar.

In addition to drinks made from classic types, Saperavi, Kindzmarauli, Khvanchkara, Kagor will be an excellent option for making mulled wine. Preference should be given to a drink with a sugar content below 10-12 g per liter. It will be characterized by low alcohol content, which means that mulled wine will please with aroma, and not with knocking alcohol.

Country matters

Mulled wine is made from dry red wine from different countries, but still young ordinary varieties from France and Italy are much more expensive than drinks from Chile, Argentina, South Africa or Australia. Experts recommend giving preference to products from the New World, which will please you with an affordable price and delicious freshness. You should not discard the option with drinks in paper boxes, especially if you have to make mulled wine for a large company.

Wines from South America or Australia can compete with the products of wineries in Georgia, Crimea and Kuban. The only problem is a modest range of dry wines, mainly these enterprises produce semi-sweet drinks. The advantage of domestic products is not only an affordable price, but also a young age, ideal for mulled wine.

Homemade wine is a good alternative

Delicious mulled wine is made from homemade wine, the advantage of deciding in favor of their products will be a guarantee of the quality of the wine material, accurate information about the age. It is important that homemade wine meets the requirements for the amount of alcohol and sugar. Many winemakers prefer sweet and fortified varieties, and they are not suitable for hot mulled wine.

You should not experiment by treating guests by preparing mulled wine from homemade wine made from fruits or berries. These drinks have a pungent smell even at a young age, as a result of heating it becomes even more brutal, which not everyone will like. Dry homemade grape wine with a minimum sugar content is ideal for classic mulled wine.

White wines and exotic options

White wine mulled wine has a right to exist, but its preparation requires a different approach and other spices. The temperature regime for preparing a drink is more stringent; it cannot be heated above 50ºС. The higher the temperature, the more acidic the wine becomes, so more sugar will be needed.

In the cold and dank months, soft drinks become irrelevant. Mulled wine begins to take the first position. It not only quickly warms, but also reliably prevents colds. However, for the effectiveness of the drink, you need to know what is the best wine for mulled wine to buy, since an unsuccessful choice of base can nullify all the efforts of the culinary specialist. And to use mulled wine is supposed to be with pleasure and enjoyment.

Immediately "no"

Considering the question of which wine is best suited for mulled wine, we first of all reject three positions. The first of them is ready-made drinks that have occupied the shelves of supermarkets and are proudly named "Mulled Wine". Most of them contain cream, leftovers and mixtures of unknown origin. In addition, the selection of spices is unlikely to suit a person whose taste is not killed by a cold.

The second option, which should be abandoned, is wines that have been aged in oak barrels. When heated, mulled wine based on them begins to become very bitter.

And, finally, we do not consider vintage aged wines as applicants. Using them for mulled wine is considered mauvais ton. And justifiably: when heated, such wines lose most of the aromatic and flavor notes.

Which wine is better for mulled wine: white or red?

There is no definite answer here. Traditionally, the drink is made from red wines. However, connoisseurs and connoisseurs assure that white varieties also give excellent results. Only the preparation of mulled wine at home in this case should take into account a couple of nuances. Firstly, the drink is heated weaker. That is, if mulled wine is based on red wine, it is brought to a temperature of 70 degrees, if white - only up to 50. "Busting" will lead to the loss of useful qualities, taste and smell of mulled wine. Secondly, white wine should be paired with other spices, less pronounced and unobtrusive.

About sugar content

A lot of controversy raises the question of what kind of wine is suitable for mulled wine - dry, sweet, dessert? Experts believe that the best option is just dry. And for several reasons at once. First of all, because dry wines are exclusively natural, not spoiled by impurities and "left" additives, since their introduction is prohibited by technology. The second advantage of "rusk" is its ease of use and refreshing taste. The third plus is the low sugar content, which makes it possible to regulate the sweetness of mulled wine.

Semi-dry wines are also quite suitable for our purposes. They differ from the previous paragraph only in a high sugar content. But this drawback is eliminated by adjusting the introduced sugar / honey.

With semi-sweet wines, things are not so simple. Many of them acquire a sugary taste when heated, which is quite difficult to fix.

Dessert wines are not suitable for mulled wine at all. Their strength is too high, as well as sweetness. Therefore, a drink, even acidified with lemon fresh juice, will give off alcohol, which does not bring pleasure when drinking it.

About varieties

The last side when considering which wine is suitable for mulled wine is the grapes used to make it. One of the best choices would be Cabernet, with its tart taste, rich color and light fruity aroma. Worthy of attention and "Merlot" with a hint of plum. Saperavi, Mavrud (this is a Bulgarian variety), Khvanchkara, Kadarka and Kindzmarauli are also good.

If you want to experiment with white wines, stop first at Sauvignon, Chardonnay or Riesling.

Good, but heavy mulled wine is obtained from Cahors. Notes of prunes, raspberries and black currants add piquancy to the drink. A light chocolate flavor is very popular with the ladies.

Summary

Having specified all the details of which wine is better for mulled wine, we can make an unambiguous conclusion: only young varieties that have a simple aroma and understandable taste. The wine must not be older than three years. The best option for mulled wine will be produced in the current year. Fortress - not less than 7 and not more than 13 revolutions. White or red - depending on your preference.

Experts do not advise taking the famous wines of France or Italy for hot drinks - they are worthy of independent consumption. However, unfamiliar cheap brands are not our choice. For mulled wine, Chilean, Moldovan, Georgian, Bulgarian wines are good, they are of high quality, combined with spices and have a very democratic price.

Let's go back to tradition

For starters, you can try to cook classic mulled wine. The ingredients for it in various sources do not match, but the basic principles are identical.

A glass of dry red wine requires a 50-ml glass of water, half an apple, a strip of lemon or orange peel, a spoonful of natural honey and a little bit of spices: star anise, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg and allspice.

Let's start cooking mulled wine at home:

1. It begins with the construction of a fragrant "refueling": seasonings are poured with water, boiled for a couple of minutes and infused for some time in a sealed container.
2. The apple is cut into small slices, supplemented with zest, poured with wine - and the container is placed on the smallest fire.
3. You need to heat the wine up to 70 degrees, a sign of reaching the desired temperature is the appearance of light steam above the surface.
4. A decoction of spices is poured into the mulled wine through a strainer, the saucepan is covered with a lid for a couple of minutes (so that the wine breathes with seasonings).
5. The last step is to flavor the drink with honey.

Drinking mulled wine must be hot, this is the deep essence of this drink.

Mulled wine from Cahors

Aesthetes do not consider this wine ideal for mulled wine. Nevertheless, this option is popular everywhere. Moreover, there are different fantasies on the Cahors theme. The most successful, perhaps, is the simplest version: the wine already has a rich taste and pronounced aroma, so it does not need an abundance of spices.

The only difficulty to be overcome is maintaining a certain temperature for some time. So all the time you have to put the saucepan on the burner, then remove it from it:

• Cahors is poured into a vessel and placed on fire.
• Slowly and carefully, the wine is heated to about 40 degrees (you can use your own finger as a thermometer. Cleanly washed, of course).
• Now we move the saucepan a little to the side to maintain, but not increase the temperature, and introduce the lemon slices. For half a liter of Cahors - about half a citrus.
• Then the heating continues; five minutes later, when the wine reaches a temperature of 50-60 degrees, cloves and cinnamon are laid. Spices are taken to taste, but not much, so as not to clog the taste of Cahors itself.
• When the mulled wine begins to emit steam, the container is removed from the stove. Its contents are infused for several minutes under the lid. At the next stage, some chefs advise adding a spoon or two of cognac or liquor, but this step is up to you.

The drink is bottled and consumed with pleasure.

Finally

If you have wine lying around in your refrigerator, it is better to put it in a marinade for meat. Even if it meets all the rules of choice, it is no longer suitable for a delicious healing drink, since it will not work to cook mulled wine from red wine of the second freshness. Anyway, delicious. This drink, most likely, will not bring harm, but also benefits. Yes, and its use will not deliver pleasure.

You should also not use wine that you do not like the taste of, even if it is of high quality. No amount of spice can make the unpleasant pleasant. And choking on mulled wine is the last thing.

If you are still "not in the know", be sure to cook mulled wine. Which wine to choose, you already know the basic approaches to the process, too. Be creative - and you may invent the best recipe in the world! Remember that spices are now available in abundance. And each of them changes the taste of mulled wine. So before you the widest experimental field.

Sophisticated tasters know that most noble wines fully reveal their aroma and flavor potential when chilled. However, a rather old experiment with heating the drink was also a success, giving the world mulled wine. At first glance, its recipe is simple, but you need to approach the preparation very carefully: only then will it bring an unforgettable experience. So what kind of curiosity is this mulled wine and what kind of wine would be the right choice for its creation?

What and how

Mulled wine has been made since time immemorial, but it acquired its modern form, known to us, during the Middle Ages. “Flaming wine”, as the name is translated from German, is quite simple to create: you need to heat red wine mixed with sugar and spices to 70-80 ° C. Thanks to its deeply penetrating warmth and soothing spicy aroma, red wine mulled wine is considered a traditional Christmas drink in most countries of Central and Northern Europe.

The forefather of mulled wine was born in ancient Rome, when the wine was flavored with spices, but the temperature was left normal. Classical medieval mulled wine was most often prepared from Bordeaux, adding herbal extract.

Drinks from which mulled wine is prepared today:

• red dry (semi-dry) wine of low strength;
• beer;
• cognac.

Naturally, the variations no longer have the right to be called "flaming wine", but the recipe brings such satisfactory results that almost every experiment brings an important emphasis to the history of the drink.

"Hot drink" is prepared only by heating; if you see a corked bottle of mulled wine on the counter of a store, this is the biggest absurdity you can think of.

Wine selection

The main ingredient requires the most serious approach. Depending on the taste shades and other properties of the wine, the subsequent selection of spices is made, as well as the cooking technology. The classic for mulled wine is red wine, so we need to discuss it in more detail.

Remember: the geographical origin of wine is absolutely irrelevant. It is better to focus on your capabilities, and first of all - on tastes.

Wine for mulled wine: the main rules for choosing:

1. It is best to use house wine; subsequent heating will improve it;
2. Ideal shutter speed is conveyed by the phrase "the younger, the better"; fresh wine will absorb the aroma and taste of spices, becoming exactly what you want to see it (and taste);
3. Inexpensive wine is also suitable; using elite vintage wines is considered bad manners, since they already fully reveal their potential;
4. The ideal choice is dry table wine: this way a hot drink will not have a sweet cloying taste; semi-sweet wines, according to experts, are also suitable;
5. Barrel-infused beverages can give mulled wine an oaky bitterness when heated, so avoid this situation unless you like the taste of wood;
6. If you buy wine in a store, be sure to check the expiration date; a sour drink will not become a worthy mulled wine;
7. Champion brands among sources for mulled wine are Cabernet, Cahors, Saperavi, Merlot.

It is appropriate to sum up this list with the golden law: let the wine chosen for mulled wine simply be your favorite; then the drink will definitely please everyone who is present at the hearth.

But what about white?

White wines are also popular when it comes to hot cocktails. The taste difference comes from the cooking technology. To obtain a white drink, the pulp is peeled before fermentation (as opposed to red). Then the cooked nectar has a smaller amount of tannin - a substance that gives astringency, viscosity, velvety, which pass to mulled wine as an inheritance. That is, the answer to the question "to be or not to be?" (in our case - “red or white?”) Depends solely on the desired taste of the future mulled wine.

However, when choosing a light option, the ingredients change slightly:

• semi-sweet is more suitable;
• Pair with orange rather than lemon.

Among lovers of non-alcoholic cocktails, mulled wine made on the basis of apple juice is especially in demand today, which miraculously tastes like white wine when heated.

What are the advantages of dry wines?

Dry or semi-dry wine is different in that during fermentation, the sugar contained in the grapes turns into alcohol. In addition, such a table drink of home origin does not have extraneous flavors, because no additional ingredients are added during preparation.

Recipe

Each mulled wine recipe (and there are undoubtedly many of them!) Will find its “buyer”. To prepare the perfect drink, create your own recipe, based on the advice of experienced craftsmen.

Ingredients

The parents of mulled wine - German winemakers - set the golden rule for the ideal strength of the drink: no less than 7%. Therefore, to consolidate the result in the cooking process, cognac or rum is sometimes added. Sugar adds spices to open up and neutralize the acidity of the wine, which rises during the heating of the drink.

Spices for a classic taste:

• cinnamon;
• carnation;
• citrus peel (orange / lemon);
• anise;
• ginger.

The recipe often calls for spices to be mixed directly into the wine; another option is to boil them initially in water so that the ingredients give the liquid flavor properties.

The recipe can also be improved with ingredients such as allspice or black pepper, bay leaf, cardamom, nutmeg, walnuts or almonds, raisins, and also look for missing accents in dried herbs stocked in summer or spring. Especially refined fruit and berry notes can be given to the drink with the help of apple, apricot, cranberry. There is even a recipe with the addition of coffee.

step by step

If you are making mulled wine without adding water, the recipe looks like this:

Recipe for a good drink using water (proportion - 150 ml / 1 liter of wine):

1. Put the water to boil; boil spices in it, which will give the liquid aroma, as well as essential oils;
2. Add sugar, honey to the container; then pour in the wine;
3. Heat the mixture without bringing to a boil; the vessel is removed from the fire after the disappearance of white foam from the surface of the drink;
4. Insist mulled wine under a closed lid;
5. Pour into mugs or glasses with a ladle; you can decorate with cinnamon sticks, star anise or cardamom seeds.

Whatever recipe you choose, do not forget to bring mulled wine to your taste: subjectivity in this matter is a key principle.

Results

As the sages said, if a person is able to invent something, then it is possible. Delicious and fragrant mulled wine is the best proof of this, because nothing can stop interest before discovering new recipes. Improving techniques, increasing knowledge, as well as synthesizing new ways of development, ordinary wine lovers transform into real winemakers-alchemists capable of creating a drink that provides, if not an eternal life, then a joyful and enthusiastic one - for sure.

How to quickly warm up on frosty winter days or when the yard is damp and slushy? An excellent option can be red wine mulled wine, the recipes of which are varied and easy to prepare. In addition, this fragrant drink has useful and healing properties, which is especially important during SARS and seasonal colds.

A little about the origin

Even in ancient Rome, people mixed wine with spices to enhance the taste of alcohol. But only during the Middle Ages, the inhabitants of Central and Northern Europe came up with such a spicy mixture to heat up in order to protect themselves from the cold on severe frosty days. Bordeaux was taken as the basis, which was flavored with galangal grass. Later, grass was replaced by other spices: cardamom, star anise, cloves, cinnamon, and so on.

For reference. The herb galangal is somewhat reminiscent of ginger, but has a less pronounced burning taste and a rich perfume composition (like myrtle and cardamom).

The effect and benefits of heated spicy wine were appreciated not only by the creators of the drink. The hot aromatic drink soon spread throughout Europe and is now served on winter days in many public establishments. But it is not necessary to go to a restaurant or bar to experience the taste and aroma of the famous warmed Bordeaux. You can cook homemade mulled wine, which tastes no worse than those offered by experienced winemakers. And how to cook mulled wine at home, we will tell in this article.

The main components of mulled wine

Proper preparation of mulled wine from red wine involves heating an alcoholic beverage (both pure and diluted with water) along with spices. It is thanks to this technique that the product got such a name, which in German means “flaming (fiery) wine”. Of considerable importance is also how to cook mulled wine. The liquid must be warmed up over low heat and under the lid.

Despite the fact that red wine mulled wine recipes can be found in different variations, the composition is almost always the same:

• there must be wine;
• spices;
• fruits can be added to emphasize the aroma of the finished drink;
• sometimes other alcoholic drinks are included in the recipe.

Which wine is suitable for mulled wine depends on tastes and preferences. But, traditionally, it is prepared on the basis of red dry or semi-dry wine. It is better to take not too expensive brands, as they interrupt the taste and do not allow the bouquet of spices to open up to its full potential. But do not opt ​​for the cheapest options in a cardboard box. The correct answer to the question of which wine is best for mulled wine is any that you like. But definitely not sweet and not dessert.

When preparing mulled wine, an alcoholic recipe comes down to two methods of preparation: either based on pure wine, or alcohol is diluted with water. The strength of the drink must be at least 7%.

Important! Regardless of the recipe you choose, don't let the ingredients boil. Why can't you boil mulled wine? During boiling, most of the alcohol evaporates and the taste of spices is distorted. You need to warm up the future culinary masterpiece until the first bubbles and steam appear (70 - 80 degrees). Then the drink is infused for several minutes and immediately served at the table.

Advice. There are ready-made sets of spices for sale in order to make mulled wine from wine at home. But it is better to buy such products separately. So you can adjust the right amount of spices according to the recipe.

Also, do not use ground spices for mulled wine in cooking. They give the finished drink an unpleasant aftertaste and cloudy appearance.

Making mulled wine at home

How to cook mulled wine at home? There shouldn't be any difficulty with this. The main thing is to have a suitable pan (preferably enameled) and the necessary products.

Classic mulled wine recipe

You will need:

• dry red wine - 1.5 l;
• a pinch of cinnamon;
• sugar - 300 g;
• carnation - 3 pcs.;
• zest of 1 lemon.

Cooking

1. Mix spices with zest, sugar and pour wine, mix.
2. We put on fire and warm up to 70 ⁰С (we have already said why mulled wine cannot be brought to a boil).
3. Strain hot mulled wine with wine and serve immediately.

Important! A properly prepared drink from hot wine should be clean and transparent, so it must be filtered.

You will need:

• a bottle of red wine;
• 4 cloves;
• 3 cinnamon sticks;
• 3 slices of orange with skin (can be replaced with lemon);
• 1 tsp vanilla sugar;
• 2 - 3 table. l. honey;
• 3 table. spoons of cognac

Cooking

1. We mix wine with spices and citrus, put on fire.
2. We warm up to the desired temperature and remove.
3. Let it brew for 5 minutes and pour into cups or glasses.

In order not to filter the finished drink, you can put all the spices in a clean canvas bag, lower it into a liquid and bring them to a boil in this form. Let the spices brew for about 15 minutes and remove the bag.

You will need:

• 1 lemon;
• 1 apple;
• 2 glasses of wine;
• 2 table. spoons of cognac;
• 4 table. spoons of raisins (pitted);
• 5 table. spoons of brown sugar;
• 7 pcs. cloves;
• cinnamon stick.

Cooking

1. Cut the apple and lemon into small pieces.
2. We mix with all the ingredients and heat the future mulled wine from dry red wine to 80 degrees.
3. We insist 5 minutes and pour.

By the way, if you like sweeter drinks, then prepare the same mulled wine from red semi-sweet wine. In this case, the taste will be richer.

If you prefer only natural and proven products, try the recipe for mulled wine with wine from home cellars.

You will need:

• 1 liter of house wine;
• 1 - 3 cinnamon sticks (to taste);
• 2 - 3 cm fresh ginger root;
• 2 star anise;
• 2 - 3 cardamom seeds;
• 3 - 4 buds of cloves;
• 1 lemon;
• sugar to taste.

Cooking

1. We mix all the ingredients, warm up, and then leave to infuse for 15 minutes.
2. Strain and pour into a suitable bowl.

Advice. When choosing dishes for serving a hot drink, remember that glasses for mulled wine should be thick-walled. This drink is also served in ordinary cups, or you can pick up special clay glasses for mulled wine.

How to cook red mulled wine with honey?

You will need:

• 0.5 l dry red wine;
• 7 carnations;
• 3 star anise;
• 4 things. allspice;
• cinnamon to taste;
• 5 table. spoons of honey.

Cooking

1. Warm up the wine with spices.
2. Remove from heat, add honey and leave for about 10 minutes. Strain and serve.

You will need:

• ¾ l dry red wine;
• the same amount of water;
• 2 apples and oranges;
• 200 g of honey;
• spices to taste: cloves, cardamom, star anise, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg;
• 1 table. a spoonful of hibiscus and black tea (dry).

Cooking

1. Bring water with hibiscus and tea leaves to a boil. Pour spices here.
2. Add wine, honey and fruit. Do not bring to a boil!
3. Remove from heat, let stand 10 minutes, strain and serve.

You will need:

• 750 ml of port wine, sherry and Madeira;
• 300 ml dry red wine;
• 15 pcs. cardamom and clove seeds;
• cinnamon stick;
• 230 g lump sugar;
• 0.5 glass of brandy;
• 190 g raisins;
• 160 g almonds;
• 3 lemons.

Cooking

1. Mix all ingredients except brandy, raisins, nuts, lemons and sugar.
2. When the mixture is hot, remove the sugar in a colander and place on top of an empty deep saucepan.
3. Heat brandy and pour sugar over it. Set it on fire.
4. While the brandy is burning, pour the hot wine mixture over it, making sure the sugar dissolves along the way.
5. Slice the lemons and drop them into the hot liquid.
6. Strain, pour into mugs, sprinkle with raisins and nuts.

Well, if you do not like the spicy aroma of dishes, but you really want to try delicious mulled wine, try brewing it with coffee.

You will need:

• a bottle of any red wine;
• sugar - 150 grams;
• cognac - 100 grams;
• a large cup of Turkish coffee.

Cooking

1. Pour freshly brewed coffee into warmed wine (about 60 degrees), add sugar.
2. We leave to languish on the fire for about two minutes, remove, add cognac and immediately pour into cups or glasses.

Rules of use

Cooked mulled wine how to drink properly, you still need to figure it out. In Germany, the homeland of the drink, they insist that it should be consumed only hot, immediately after preparation. It is better to drink in small sips, enjoying the spicy taste.

In no case should you use it after cooling. Otherwise, you risk getting a sour product instead of fragrant and healthy mulled wine.

Many advise storing the prepared infusion in a thermos. But if you decide to resort to this method, remember that you should not overexpose the hot wine for more than two hours, otherwise it will “suffocate”.

What do they drink "fire wine" with?

In a restaurant, bar or cafe, you will be offered this drink without snacks. But if you prefer to combine alcohol with food, you can serve it with meat or poultry.

Some countries have traditional snacks in this case:

• in Austria, mulled wine is served with pies;
• in Germany - with cakes and chocolates;
• in Sweden - with canapes with spicy cheese, smoked fish;
• in Holland - with donuts and donuts.

Useful properties and contraindications

The opinion that drinking mulled wine is harmful or beneficial is almost always the same - in moderation it has a beneficial effect on the body:

• quickly warms, thanks to heated alcohol;
• improves blood circulation;
• relieves stress;
• speeds up metabolism;
• used as a prophylaxis of viral diseases, since it has a well-defined antimicrobial and antiviral effect;
• helps fight insomnia.

But it is worth remembering that if you constantly drink mulled wine, the benefits of it are reduced. This is due to the presence of alcohol in it, and, like any alcoholic drink, it can be addictive. For the same reason, you should not drink more than one serving at a time (about 250 ml).

Contraindications:

• pregnancy and lactation;
• childhood;
• stomach and duodenal ulcer;
• problem with vascular patency;
• heat.

And, despite the fact that mulled wine has antiviral properties, it is not recommended to treat a cold that has already appeared. In this case, it is better to consult a doctor.

Mulled wine is a drink with a history and a lot of useful properties. Thanks to its special taste and healing power, it has won many fans around the world. But, like any alcoholic drink, it can also harm. Therefore, you should not get carried away with them without measure. It is better to create a tradition from his drinking for cozy evenings in the company of loved ones. And then such a hot mug with a fragrant drink will not only warm and benefit, but also relax, giving a good mood for a long time.