Mulled Wine – And you, how do you make it?

The article begins with mulled wine as both a fixture of Christmas markets and a traditional warming drink once regarded as a remedy for seasonal illness and a post-meal digestive.

Its historical overview starts with the Greek conditum paradoxum and the Romans' taste for heated, spiced wine, including a reference in the collection attributed to Apicius. Pepper was used early, later giving way to cinnamon, while honey served as a sweetener. The account links the medicinal reputation of spices with Hippocrates.

As the drink spread across Europe, local versions emerged. The Italian term vin brulé is connected with the French Valdostan expression for “burnt wine.” English mulled wine may include nutmeg, raisins, maple syrup or brandy. French vin chaud is presented as lighter, less sweet and less heavily spiced, sometimes incorporating honey, brown sugar or Cognac. German Glühwein may contain cardamom, cranberries, vanilla, rum or amaretto, while Scandinavian glögg commonly includes almonds, raisins and cardamom, sometimes strengthened with vodka, bourbon, white whiskey or rum. In Sweden it became associated with Christmas during the nineteenth century.

The proposed Poggiopiano version serves four to five mugs. It combines one bottle of Com’Era—or Chianti Superiore Voce alla Terra for a more intense result—with 20 g of sugar, orange zest and slices, lemon zest, two cinnamon sticks, six cloves, optional fresh ginger and one star anise. The sugar, spices and citrus are placed in a pan, the wine is added, and the mixture is brought to the boil before simmering for 30 minutes. It is then filtered and served warm.