Simple Mulled Wine Recipe Slow Cooker (2024)

FAQs

What wine is best for mulled wine? ›

The best red wine to use for mulled wine is Merlot, Zinfandel or Garnacha (also called Grenache). These wines are dark, fruity and full bodied, which means they can support all of the flavors we'll be adding. Look for labels that describe the wine as “jammy” or with “notes of vanilla.”

One important thing to remember when making your mulled wine – don't boil or heat it for too long! You'll cook off all the alcohol and be left with tasty but boozeless mulled grape juice.

Does the alcohol cook out when making mulled wine? In short, yes, some of the alcohol burns off when boiling mulled wine, but you should only be gently bringing up to the boil and simmering for around 15-30 minutes which isn't enough time to completely remove all alcohol traces.

Ainsley Harriott recommends mulling wines in a slow cooker and says two hours at low temperature gives excellent results and should retain most alcohol content.

Mulled Wine Ingredients:

Wine: No need to splurge on a pricey bottle — a mid-range bottle of dry red or white wine will do. (Or if you're making a big batch, this is a great recipe to break out a nicer boxed wine too!)

Yes. Even though the spiced wine is heated, most of the alcohol remains.

You need to infuse the wine long enough with the spices to take on their flavour but DON'T ON ANY ACCOUNT LET THE MIXTURE BOIL as you'll be left with a bitter taste. Slow and low is the way to go. And it shouldn't be served piping hot, just comfortably - and comfortingly - warm.

The Spices

Ground spices are much easier to overdo, which can lead to a bitter mulled wine that tastes more like raw cinnamon than a delightful, warming beverage. Cinnamon is the most essential spice in mulled wine.

Then let the mulled wine cool at room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container, and store it in the fridge — it will keep well there for up to three days.

Raw alcohol will evaporate at 78 C, importantly even with conventional cooking techniques, not all the alcohol will burn off. When using a slow cooker the internal temperature may only just get to this important temperature, and because of the lid any alcohol that does evaporate will return back into the cooker.

Is mulled wine healthy? ›

The red wine base in mulled wine brings its own set of health benefits. Resveratrol is associated with heart health benefits and may help protect the lining of blood vessels, lower bad cholesterol levels, and prevent blood clots. When consumed in moderation, red wine has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease.

But fear not, hot cider, hot toddy, and mulled wine lovers: Around 85 percent of your beloved alcohol will survive the heating process.

Similar like Sangria, it's also traditional to spike your mulled wine with an extra bit of liquor. Brandy is the traditional choice but you can substitute it with rum or bourbon or even equal quantity of apple juice.

Heating the mulled wine slowly over a low temperature will ensure the flavours infuse without the risk of the alcohol evaporating away. If your slow cooker has a 'keep warm' function, use it so you don't have to repeatedly reheat your mulled wine during a Christmas party.

Sorry to spoil the party, but here's the real deal: Simply heating alcohol, or any other cooking liquid, does not make it evaporate as quickly as a child's allowance in a candy store. The longer you cook, the more alcohol cooks out, but you have to cook food for about 3 hours to fully erase all traces of alcohol.

Red wines are traditionally used to make mulled wine, and while any red wine can work, sweet reds will give you a nice, sweet base, meaning less sugar added in later. If you use a dry red, keep in mind you may need to add more sugar than a recipe calls for.

Ideally you want to use bigger and bolder red wines like Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah, or Cabernet, but any fruity red wine your family members are leaving around will do. I've used Pinot Noir before to success. Honestly, whatever red wine that you're stuck with and you don't want to drink, they'll work.

Merlot is an ideal choice of wine for making mulled wine. Its bold, juicy fruit flavor has notes of red cherry, plum, and cranberry.

As wine forms the base for the mulled wine, you do want to be careful with your selection. A bottle of Levant Shiraz makes the perfect base - we don't recommend Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir. Cabernet Sauvignon is too high in tannin, and Pinot Noir is too light to carry the spices.