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jamie's mulled wine

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This is dead easy to make and tastes like Christmas in a glass. It’s a lovely celebration of those traditional festive spices like cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. If you’ve got your own favorite spices, then feel free to add those to the pot too. Let everything cook away and warm up gently so the flavors have time to mingle with the wine. I like to leave my mulled wine ticking over on a really low heat and just ladle some into glasses as and when guests pop in.

Peel large sections of peel from your clementines, lemon and lime using a speed peeler. Put the sugar in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the pieces of peel and squeeze in the clementine juice. Add the cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and about 10 to 12 gratings of nutmeg. Throw in your halved vanilla pod and stir in just enough red wine to cover the sugar. Let this simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved into the red wine and then bring to the boil. Keep on a rolling boil for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until you’ve got a beautiful thick syrup. The reason I’m doing this first is to create a wonderful flavor base by really getting the sugar and spices to infuse and blend well with the wine. It’s important to do make a syrup base first because it needs to be quite hot, and if you do this with both bottles of wine in there you’ll burn off the alcohol.

When your syrup is ready turn the heat down to low and add your star anise and both bottles of wine. Gently heat the wine and after around 5 minutes, when it’s warm and delicious, ladle it into glasses and serve.

ingredients

• 2 clementines
• peel of 1 lemon
• peel of 1 lime
• 250g caster sugar
• 6 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 fresh bay leaves
• 1 whole nutmeg
• 1 whole vanilla pod, halved
• 2 star anise
• 2 bottles of Chianti, or other Italian red wine

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tried this recipe or a similar one? share your tips...

1. by stacy on Fri 20 Jan 2012 @ 13:12

on jamies christmas with bells on it, he make this ice cream but it wasnt the leftover christmas pud one, he made it outside nxt to the oven cant find the recipie! anybody know? thnx x

2. by Mark on Sat 14 Jan 2012 @ 14:40

It's lovely I tried for a Christmas party I'm going to do it today as long I have another party

3. by Mrs Nomad on Tue 27 Dec 2011 @ 08:53

I made this Boxing day, couldn't find my bay leaves so left them out. It was INCREDIBLY sweet, even tho I cut back a bit on sugar, but I added in more wine (2lt in total), and the juice and peel of another lemon which counteracted the sweetness and it was fine then.

4. by Meryl K on Mon 26 Dec 2011 @ 04:02

Jamie- This wine ROCKS!! Prepared a batch for the Christmas party at home & before I knew it, was preparing two other's & was dolling the recipe out. Needless to say we had a warm XMas in freezing Chandigarh thanks to you!!

5. by margaret on Sat 24 Dec 2011 @ 09:51

mulled wine taste great ,but would like to know what i can put in to unsweeten it a bit ,otherwise its beautiful thank you

6. by Donal on Sat 24 Dec 2011 @ 03:35

Lovely, always enjoy your recipes, shows and community work. Best regards, Donal

7. by Elle on Thu 22 Dec 2011 @ 22:26

This our third year of making this recipe. There's always a little variation of course - but am currently sipping as we speak! Lovely lovely! See, Jamie... your recipes are here in Lanzarote too! Don't shoot me when I say we made it with a local Spanish carton wine... because it tastes awesome! The house now smells like Crimbo! Merry Christmas everyone!# Elle xx

8. by Audrey on Sat 17 Dec 2011 @ 17:15

I used granulated sugar which I bashed with a pestal and mortar. It was undrinkable - horribly sweet. Was it because it was the wrpng sugar? I even used a bit less - just over 200g ??

9. by mags oarry on Sat 17 Dec 2011 @ 12:43

great recipe! I served it to a french choir, who loved it. I had strained out the peel and spices and on an impulse I threw them in with the chicken caracase I was boiling up for soup/stock. plus a bit of the wine as well. Made a gorgeous soup!

10. by Carlan on Sat 17 Dec 2011 @ 04:22

RE: 4. by Supermike on Fri 09 Dec 2011 @ 04:06 Star Anise as used by Chinese cooks is very hot spice. (It adds no heat that I can detect, it adds liquorice flavor and aroma.) Be careful where you buy it as it is basically non -edible and can make you ill. (It is completely edible and I've never known it to make anyone ill.) The Japanese variety used for incense is actually toxic. (correct, this is the variety you should avoid consuming) Buying powdered Star Anise may also include some Japanese Anise in it. (buying from any reputable merchant should mean that no Japanese star anise is contained.) I'd substite Garam Masala if you live near Indian shops. (why? You just got finished saying that star anise is toxic, one of the main ingredients of garam masala.)

11. by charlotte on Fri 16 Dec 2011 @ 12:49

wont it boil out most of the alcohol out of the wine?

12. by Donna on Thu 15 Dec 2011 @ 10:55

I've made this 3 times in the last 3 weeks. I've had it warm whilst in Europe however here in Australia, after making the syrup, adding the wine and rebottling, I've chilled it in the fridge. It's still absolutely yummy!!

13. by Jean HAWKINS on Fri 09 Dec 2011 @ 15:29

Can you add lemonade to Mullwine, purchased from the shops.

14. by Supermike on Fri 09 Dec 2011 @ 04:06

Star Anise as used by Chinese cooks is very hot spice. Be careful where you buy it as it is basically non -edible and can make you ill. The Japanese variety used for incense is actually toxic. Buying powdered Star Anise may also include some Japanese Anise in it. I'd substite Garam Masala if you live near Indian shops.

15. by Chai4two on Tue 06 Dec 2011 @ 05:30

Let me know how it comes out with the dark chocolate. Also, are most of you using a standard 750 ml bottle of wine?

16. by Randolph Crumperstrum. on Sat 03 Dec 2011 @ 14:21

From the comments below I'm going to adjust the recipe by placing the syrup on a longer heat, for an hour or so, after the five minutes of boiling, with a drop of wine here and there so it doesn't boil dry... and then bottle for a number of days in the fridge. Maybe there's potential for adding some dark chocolate pieces to the syrup as I'm going to take a third off the sugar.

17. by Megan on Sun 07 Aug 2011 @ 17:20

How many glasses does this recipe serve? I want to have this a s a reception drink at my winter wedding:)

18. by rory on Tue 26 Jul 2011 @ 02:48

Is it very alcoholic or not? Doesn't a lot of the alcohol cook out of it?

19. by chris on Mon 25 Jul 2011 @ 10:44

Well Jamie, down here in NZ I have made your mulled wine recipe, delightful, delicious and smooth. Easy to follow. Just a shame I broke 1 bottle of red wine on the way in from the car! Found another at home tho. Regards Chris

20. by Carmina on Sun 24 Jul 2011 @ 10:25

We made this 2 times in 2 days... Amazing. We had friends over and it fills the whole house w heavenly aroma! So warm & cozy tastes like Christmas. Made this with Australian cab merlot. The ingredients used ground cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. The little supermarket didn't have the real pods and sticks. It was still delicious and highly flavorsome. Left out star anise tho as unavailable but it wasn't missed. We are considering making batches of the syrup and freezing for a rainy day??

21. by Tara on Thu 21 Jul 2011 @ 06:03

This mulled wine rocks- so perfect for those winter get-togethers. The second time this month that I am making this- always get asked for the recipe- Thanks Jaime- I like to keep mine warm in the crock pot on low- perfect to put out for guests to enjoy.

22. by Steffi on Wed 06 Jul 2011 @ 10:10

I've made this a couple of times now and absolutely love the flavours. This is the best mulled wine I've had. So nice on a winters night :)

23. by Jenny on Wed 22 Jun 2011 @ 23:55

Made this last night for solstice party - I would say it makes enough for six thirsty people or eight not-so-thirsty! Delicious. Will make again and again.

24. by Nikki on Tue 21 Jun 2011 @ 05:47

As Mandarins are in season here I have used 2 of them instead of using clementines, and was able to find everything from the supermarket shelf!! As I don't enjoy sickly sweet wine, I have used 125g of suger, and if it isn't sweet enough I'll make a sugar syrup (equal part's of sugar and water) and add that at the end, the smell coming from the pot is BEAUTIFUL, it's a surprise for the family coming over tonight, thank you Jamie :D

25. by CaRRIE on Tue 21 Dec 2010 @ 08:39

Any ideas on the serving size. Does this serve 10 or 20? I am looking to scale it up for 60 people. Thanks.

26. by Elizabeth on Sat 18 Dec 2010 @ 20:21

I absolutely love mulled wine! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!

27. by J. Graham on Sat 18 Dec 2010 @ 18:52

My mum and I made this for the 1st time today. So so simple to make and I am blind, if I can make it anyone can. Really really good though next time I think I'l use half the sugar. A little too sweet especially when half my family have diabetes. but big thumbs up!

28. by MT on Sat 18 Dec 2010 @ 15:42

To answer Steven's post.. Re: Bottling and Storing.

I have made 4 or 5 batches of this recipe in the past few weeks. I made a batch with Jacobs Creek Grenache Shiraz 2009 - We re-bottled and sealed it (screwtop lid) for almost 2 weeks. Last night we cracked it open as we couldn't resist. SUPERB !!! flavors seemed more intense with the wait. Better than the batch we made and drank straight away - Seemed nicer than the Chianti batch too, but then again it all comes down to taste, right?

Have another 4 bottle batch on the cooker right now, should be just ripe by Chrissy Day - If it Lasts that long :D

Also, I like to cook the syrup on low, for at least an hour for maximum flavor effect, before adding the majority of wine - Be creative people and Enjoy....

29. by mark on Sat 18 Dec 2010 @ 11:25

i make mulled wine this time every year and thought i would try out this recipe,without wanting to be the xmas grinch it was way too sickly sweet, followed recipe to the letter. has anyone else experienced this problem? is it really 250g of castor sugar? after some complaints of the over powering sweetness i added 2 more bottles of wine! but still too sweet! any comments or advise woulod be appreciated thanks

30. by Iva Biggun on Wed 15 Dec 2010 @ 20:14

?
Looking to do it for a party, just wondering on quantities
Thanks

31. by Frances on Tue 14 Dec 2010 @ 18:45

Great recipe. Just thought I would answer a few questions raised here so far. Firstly, any red wine will do for this (I always buy the cheapest going- if it lacks a bit of gusto- ie less than 11% proof, I add a dash of rum or brandy before serving). Secondly, to prepare in advance, just follow the recipe until adding the remaining wine, pour into a bottle or jar, seal and store in the fridge for up to a week. Lastly, for a non alcoholic version just follow the same recipe but use red grape juice, apple juice or cranberry and reduce the sugar by 2/3 to 1/2. In the case of non alcoholic drink, I would always add a fairly large piece of fresh Ginger to give an equivalent 'burn' to alcohol. I would also recommend looking out for Bottle Green spiced berry cordial; dilute and use as substitute to the wine.

32. by Susy on Mon 13 Dec 2010 @ 19:32

I have never had Mulled Wine but I saw this the other day on one of your shows. I will be trying this this Christmas, but I was wondering after you make the syrup can everything be but in a crockpot on low to keep warm for guest to get some when they are ready for some. Thank you for your great recipes.

33. by Margaret on Mon 13 Dec 2010 @ 15:39

@JM - Since you make a syrup first and cook most of the alcohol out of that, you can easily take a bit of this and add apple juice, raw apple cider, or even cranberry juice for the kids. (I haven't actually tried the cranberry myself, but I think it would go nicely with the spices.)

The great thing about mulled wine is how easy it is to tweak to your own liking. You can add, substitute, and take away ingredients and still end up with a great tasting festive drink. I've made it several different ways, but I'm really looking forward to trying this recipe!

34. by stephen on Mon 13 Dec 2010 @ 15:20

ohhhhh thats great!!! mulled wine is something I have not tasted in years. First comment was a fair one sbout non alcoholic one for the kidz. I wonder how it would taste if you threw non alcoholic wine in there?

www.loyaltothemagisterium.wordpress.com

35. by JM on Mon 13 Dec 2010 @ 13:54

Hey Jamie.... Is there a non alcoholic version so the whole family can enjoy it... Even the kidz?

36. by Travel Food Phil on Mon 13 Dec 2010 @ 11:28

Love the recipe, I've got one almost the same, but your advice on creating the syrup first is great and very helpful. I also like adding a little Chinese 5 spice to my wine.

37. by Ling Cai on Mon 13 Dec 2010 @ 02:22

Looks good.

38. by May on Sun 12 Dec 2010 @ 23:45

Had this at my friend's house yesterday- without doubt the best mulled wine evah!

39. by JB on Fri 10 Dec 2010 @ 23:47

This is one of the only recipes that tells you how to make the proper syrup base without burning off the alcohol (that's no fun). This will get me through the holidays stuck indoors with relatives. Thanks Jamie!

40. by Kurtis on Fri 10 Dec 2010 @ 17:36

I made mulled wine for the firework at the allotment i go to and i remember to put the bay leaves in this time. Thank you

41. by sam on Fri 10 Dec 2010 @ 16:56

is there an alternative to oranges as I am allergic to oranges, clementines, satsumas etc
I am ok with grapefruit , lemon and lime

42. by cooker on Wed 08 Dec 2010 @ 20:01

Sounds good, but most of these ingredients aren't regularly available in my local co-op. Can I substitute clementines and limes for oranges? Whole cloves and cinammon stick for ground cloves and ground cinnamon? Fresh bay leaves for dried? Whole nutmeg for ground nutmeg? Vanilla pod for vanilla essence? Leave out the star anise? Use Merlot from Chile instead of red Chianti?

43. by Steven on Wed 08 Dec 2010 @ 12:48

Hi,

I am looking at making this for Christmas this year. Basically once made can it be bottled and then re-heated or does this have to be made fresh?

Cheers.

44. by steve on Sat 26 Dec 2009 @ 11:57

I made this version of mulled wine at christmas as a treat and it was divine, the only fault i found was that i followed jamies tip to keep it on a low heat and serve it to friends and family as and when they visited, the pan boiled dry after 3 days, it was a very lonely christmas.

45. by Dontsendimdaahn on Tue 15 Dec 2009 @ 14:47

I've made quite a bit of this so far this year. It makes the house smell amazing. The alcohol does burn of quite easily so it's ok to have some during the week when you have to get up for work the next day.

46. by Francesca on Thu 29 Jan 2009 @ 15:52

Brilliant - what a super recipe and a fantastic site. Well Done!

47. by Sheila on Tue 13 Jan 2009 @ 17:23

This recipe is great! I've made it before,however I didn't heat the syup first. I will for now on. The can also be used for mulled cider. Use apple juice or apple cider instead of the wine. This is great for all gatherings.

48. by Kurtis on Sun 11 Jan 2009 @ 14:28

I made the mulled wine but i miss 1 ingredient it was fresh bay leaves it still was good. Thank you Jamie

49. by Masonmou on Wed 07 Jan 2009 @ 17:45

I made this wine for a winter BBQ on New Years Day. It went down a storm - so warming and generally yummy!! I have to say that I used double the amounts for a larger gathering and substituted the Chianti with a Shiraz, homemade from a Beaverdale wine kit. It was still the best mulled wine I have ever tasted and the wine only cost about £1.25 a bottle!!!!

50. by Raighne on Sun 04 Jan 2009 @ 16:32

This is awesome timing. I was just telling someone I wanted a Chianti and mulled would be fantastic. Thanks!!

51. by one on Fri 02 Jan 2009 @ 19:22

is that german's Glühwein??

52. by Grovi Nani on Wed 31 Dec 2008 @ 20:52

BGonna make it right now sounds yummy love it....................
Thanks Jamie xx

53. by Diana on Tue 30 Dec 2008 @ 14:24

This is the perfect wine for those jolly days around christmas en new year! the spices are warming and when you drink this wine warm as suppossed to no cold weather can tackle you! beautlefull...........

54. by Alex on Fri 26 Dec 2008 @ 20:39

thanks

55. by Richard on Wed 24 Dec 2008 @ 18:27

This is absolutely delicious: Just make sure you simmer the syrup as instructed to ensure the flavors come out. Enjoy!

56. by Kaylea on Wed 24 Dec 2008 @ 11:54

I cant - for the life of me find anywhere that sells star anise! is there anything i can use as a replacement??

57. by Steve Sowery on Tue 23 Dec 2008 @ 13:59

Without doubt - the best mulled wine I've ever tasted.

58. by Sal on Tue 23 Dec 2008 @ 03:15

mulled wine

59. by Bernadette Adshead on Mon 22 Dec 2008 @ 14:24

Does the wine have to be italian , have got 2 bottles of Australian Shiraz Cabernet but will get 2 nice italians instead if i need to.
Thanks

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