Mulled wine's had a 2024 update - and it won't be for everyone
November is right around the corner, and we all know what that means. Very soon, the festive season will be upon us, filled with twinkly lights, Christmas carols and the sticky, sweet scent of spiced mulled wine in the air.
It’s a highly popular festive drink, beloved by about 86% of Britons, according to a 2019 survey by Virgin Wines. Traditionally, it's made with red wine which has been warmed with a combination of spices and citrus fruit, including cinnamon, nutmeg, fennel seed or star anise, cloves, cardamom, ginger, orange, and lemon.
However, new and different variations of mulled wine are starting to emerge, tempting mulled wine fans to shake things up.
Consider a warming white wine
You may not think of white wine as a wine that could do with some mulling - after all, white wine is usually crisp and cold, best enjoyed on a hot summer’s day.
Most Britons might think having a warm white wine is "bonkers", as one Reddit user described the mere suggestion. But mulled white wine is actually more common than we think, particularly in countries like Germany and Bavaria.
Glühwein, as it's known in these regions, is a staple in European-style Christmas markets, which are becoming increasingly popular among Britons. This, combined with changing tastes in wine among Brits, means wine experts believe mulled white wine could be the next big thing here.
M&S has become the first retailer to introduce a mulled white wine in UK stores, inspired by German Christmas markets. The new festive tipple is a "light, refreshing, warming drink with notes of pear, vanilla and a touch of cinnamon", signalling a softer, sweeter drink compared to its traditional counterpart.
Maddie Love, product developer at M&S Food, says: "While shoppers will no doubt be more familiar with red mulled wine, our sales data shows white wine as a whole is definitely on the up - at the moment 60% of our customers' wine purchases are white versus 40% red.
"So as white wine grows in popularity, we're confident that customers will be more open to exploring new ways to enjoy it, like our new white mulled wine. Our hope is that its lighter, fruitier notes will appeal to those who might prefer a more delicate flavour profile."
Opt for something lighter to wash down this Christmas with Marks & Spencer's bottle of white mulled wine, complete with top notes of pear, vanilla and cinnamon.
Mad about mulled rosé
So, perhaps we’ll be open to mulled white wine. But what about rosé, that quintessentially summer wine? Surely it would be madness to mull rosé!
Not so, according to Sam Fuery and Clem Yates, the creators of the English Pink company. They produce an English Pink Rosé and recently introduced their English Pink Mulled Rosé, which they describe as "spectacular".
The unusual twist on mulled wine features "aromas of vanilla, cinnamon and cloves, with a twist of lemon zest". Yates, a Master of Wine, told The Telegraph: "We’ve been really careful with the level of spice as we didn’t want to crowd out the rosé flavours. I’m really excited about it."
Wine sellers are excited about the prospect of the British public opening up to new and different mulled wine flavours. But, what do the experts think?
Your classic light rosé with warming hints of vanilla, cinnamon and cloves, with a twist of lemon.
‘How fun to try something new this Christmas!’
There are mixed reactions among wine experts, but some are optimistic about different mulled wines rising in popularity in the UK.
Jiachen Lu, head sommelier at CORD Restaurant and one of the top 50 sommeliers in the UK, tells Yahoo UK she is excited about the prospect of mulled white and rosé wines as something new to try this Christmas season.
"While we all love the perfect harmony of sweet Christmas spices, brown sugar and orange in the traditional mulled red wine, the white version can totally make orchard fruits (apples, pears, etc) and vanilla pods shine, whereas the berry notes in mulled rosé wine are particularly delicious with some slices of pink grapefruit and pink peppercorns."
Meanwhile, Garry Clark, head sommelier at Palé Hall in North Wales, plans to reserve his judgement until he tries it for himself. "I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz around serving mulled white, and it’s certainly something that piqued my interest. I’m planning on knocking up a small batch to see what it comes out like and if it’s worth the attention.
"One piece of advice I would give is, whatever style of wine you choose to use, always start off with a decent product," he adds.
"There’s a tendency to use cheap cooking wine, but even though you are adding spices and fruit to it and warming it up, doesn’t mean you should skimp on the quality of the wine."
More 'unusual flavour profiles' to reach for
If you’re looking for a new Christmassy drink to try this festive season, mulled white wine or rosé could certainly make the cut. Or would you go even further off-piste and try a mulled sake?
Sake, Japanese rice wine, is becoming increasingly popular in the UK, with Waitrose reporting a 241% surge in searches for sake.
Vicky Vecchione, a sake sommelier, explains that mulled sake - also known as Otoso - is traditionally served on New Year’s Eve. However, it isn’t always popular, she says, as the acidity of the sake increases when served warm.
An alternative way to enjoy a mulled sake, if you’re curious, is Tarusake - aged in a cedar barrel with spiced and wood notes. "When warmed up, this mirrors a delicious mulled sake without spices or orange peel in it," Vecchione, who is head of bars at Sticks’n’Sushi, suggests.
"For a real festive serve, heat up some Nigori (cloudy sake), add a touch of almond milk, some orange peels and cardamom pods to have a cosy warm sake that resembles mulled wine flavours, but better!"
This year, customers can expect to see even more out-there mulled wine options, as retailers hope to provide something for everyone. According to Jo Taylorson, head of marketing and product management for Kingsland Drinks, these departures from tradition have become more popular over the last few years.
Kingsland Drinks is one of the largest suppliers of wines to UK supermarkets, and is also a producer, bottler and packer of mulled wines sold by a number of retailers.
Taylorson adds: "This year, we will see more unusual flavour profiles on shelf across the retailers, including Cranberry & Clementine, Christmas Pudding and Gingerbread, as consumers experiment more with festive drinks."
Read more about Christmas:
11 tips to help you save - and even make - money ahead of Christmas (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
Martin Lewis shares Christmas to-do list to avoid 'New Year financial hangover' (MyLondon, 3-min read)
UK households urged to 'stock up' on six food and drink items immediately (BirminghamLive, 2-min read)
