Mulled wine is a delicious and warming beverage to enjoy when the temperature outside plummets. Whether you buy your mulled wine ready-made or make your own using your favourite mulled wine recipe, it’s important to heat it correctly to enjoy it at its best.
You can easily ruin this spiced red wine by overheating it, but there are a few fail-safe methods that will perfectly preserve the delicate flavors.
Get Ready to Heat Your Mulled Wine
Before you start heating your mulled wine to drink it, it’s important to bring it up to room temperature by allowing it to stand out on the countertop for a while.
This step is crucial if you store your mulled wine in a cellar or other cold area of your home. Heating mulled wine straight from a chilly environment can negatively affect the flavor and cause unpleasant sediment.
Once your bottle has reached the ambient temperature inside your home, it’s time to try out one of the following heating methods.
1. Heat On the Stove
The most straightforward way to heat your mulled wine is by preheating a large pot on the stove and then pouring the wine in. Turn the stove to a very low heat and warm your wine up slowly, stirring it now and then to ensure even heat distribution.
You could also add some cinnamon sticks to the pan for a little extra festive spice.
While you heat your mulled wine on the stove, it’s essential to watch it carefully to make sure it doesn’t boil. Don’t be tempted to crank up the heat to warm it up faster. Allowing the mulled wine to boil will spoil its flavor and cause some alcohol to evaporate.
2. Use a Slow Cooker
A slow cooker is a perfect tool for warming mulled wine whether you want to heat pre-made bottles or start from scratch with your own wine recipe. It allows you to walk away from your mulled wine to attend to other tasks without risking it overheating or losing the alcohol content.
Once you’ve added your premixed wine or ingredients, set the slow cooker to its lowest setting or ‘keep warm‘ function if it has one. This gentle heat will get your mulled wine to the perfect sipping temperature without burning off the alcohol or spoiling the flavor.
3. Use the Microwave
Heating mulled wine in a microwave is a risky business because it’s hard to control the temperature and could lead to it overheating.
Generally, it’s best to stick to the stove or slow cooker to heat your beverage. However, if you want warm mulled wine in a hurry, you can use the microwave with caution.
Set the microwave to the lowest available setting and heat the wine in short bursts of about 10 seconds, checking the temperature after each interval to see if it’s ready.
The Bottom Line
While using a slow cooker or stovetop pan are definitely the best methods to heat mulled wine, a microwave is an acceptable option as long as you take care not to overheat it.
However you choose to warm your wine, using a low heat and checking it regularly to prevent boiling. This is crucial to help prevent alcohol loss and maintain the delicious flavor.