How Does Mulled Wine Taste Compared to Regular Wine?
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Mulled wine--heavy with the smell of cinnamon and the holidays--is a traditional winter drink enjoyed in many countries that makes wine. Mulled wine, like spiced cider, is served when a hot, sweet beverage is called for. Like cider, it was originally invented as a way to extend the shelf life of the basic beverage. Wine was heated and spices added to mask the flavor of old wine. Today, we enjoy mulled wine as a punch for holiday parties or with any winter time gathering from the first Sunday football game to the beginning of baseball. The Romans reduced a mixture of honey and wine three times, adding more wine each time, then adding mace, mashed date, pepper and saffron to produce what must have been a potent, warming brew. Any mulled wine starts with the taste of the wine that is used as a base, then deepens and brings out the fruity undertones using sweetener and spice.
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Classic mulled wine, as prepared by the English, contains a full-bodied red wine, such as claret or burgundy, cloves, nutmeg or cinnamon and a sweetener, such as sugar or honey. The mixture is heated in a kettle over low heat. Some recipes add brandy and water as the mixture cooks down. Boiling decreases the alcohol content, so wine was "mulled", or simmered rather than boiled. This "mulling" of spices with wine was originally accomplished by plunging a red hot poker into the wine until it simmered. The end result was a very sweet, aromatic blend of whatever spices were used with the heavy, rich taste of the wine used. As the brew cooked down and more wine or brandy was added, the taste of the "punch" changed, becoming heavier with deep fruity overtones. If brandy was added, the deep oakiness of the brandy modified the sweet taste of wine and sugar.
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Other countries developed their own takes on the punch idea by introducing fruit and other ingredients specific to the region. In Mediterranean regions, fruited wine with citrus fruits and brandy is drunk cooled as Sangria in a warm-weather variation. A Northern European variant called glogg adds raisins, almonds and brandy and cooks the brew, adding water and brandy, over a longer period of time. The flavor of glogg becomes more complex as it cooks and is less sweet than the English mulled wine. Gluehwein, the traditional "après" drink of German and Austrian skiers, includes oranges, cloves, cinnamon simmered in a Spätburgunder or sturdy Schwarzriesling. Like other mulled wines, the taste of the red wine gives depth to the citrus and spice flavors. Mulled punches are garnished with orange slices or cinnamon sticks in the bowl or glass. Serve mulled wine in ceramic mugs for informal gatherings and glass cups or punch cups for parties.
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