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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Lifestyle
Abha Shah

Best mulled wines for the festive season in 2024, taste tested

The warming spiced aromas of a steaming hot cup of mulled wine is one of the things that makes wintertime in London so very special.

Whether you’re shopping for a fir tree to bring home, taking in the West End’s dazzling array of Christmas lights, or welcoming guests for an end-of-year bash, the drink, along with perhaps hot chocolate and eggnog, is the one festive staple most of us simply couldn’t do without.

How do you mull wine?

Made by gently heating red wine with winter's bounty of seasonal ingredients: think star anise, cinnamon and slices of orange, the seasonal serve is often sweetened with a dollop of honey, or for the naughty grown-ups, a hearty slug of brandy.

While you can easily whip up a batch yourself at home, many retailers and brands have launched ready-to-drink mulled wine, made with slightly different recipes to enhance the flavours we know so well.

It’ll save you from faffing about with spices when you’ve got a to-do list as long as Santa’s to get through - you’ll be thankful when you’ve got a thirsty crowd on your hands - leaving more time for scoffing mince pies, yowling along to Mariah and running into your crush beneath the mistletoe.

They also make excellent gifts to take to hosts for any Christmas parties you’ve got lined up in your diary.

We’ve rounded up the best bottles to get your hands on this Christmas and get the season on its merry way.

Shop the edit below

Selfridges Selection Mulled Wine

Made in Cornwall and sold in one of Oxford Street’s best shops, Selfridges own-brand of mulled wine is 9 per cent ABV, meaning it won’t take much to have you and your pals rocking around the Christmas tree.

The capped bottle promises to make an excellent addition to gatherings and parties, from Friendsmas to pre-Crimbo dinners. The indulgent wine is spiked with frankincense, cinnamon, nutmeg, citrus peel, cloves, star anise and vanilla. Simply slosh into a saucepan and stick on gentle heat until it's ready to serve.

Take that, Jack Frost.

Buy now £15.99, Selfridges

Harvey Nichols Mulled Wine

Repping a minimalist Scandi-cool theme this Christmas, Harvey Nicks’ bottle is made for reusing long after the tasty spiced wine (made with German grapes) within has been sipped. Don’t forget to add a slice of freshly cut orange to best bring out the flavours.

Buy now £15.95, Harvey Nichols

Three Mills Gingerbread Flavour Mulled Wine - 6x75cl

Forget pumpkin spice; come Christmas, we’re living for our next hit of gingerbread flavours. Made in Norfolk by Broadland Wines, this red wine sings with a traditional blend of nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon with ginger, offering rich and full flavour in any wintry setting.

This bundle is for six bottles, so is ideal for splitting with friends - if you can bear to, that is.

Buy now £35.24, Amazon

Sainsbury's Mulled Wine, Taste the Difference 75cl

Smooth like silk and full of lively zest, the spiced and fruit flavours in Sainsbury’s bottle of mulled wine pair brilliantly with some warmed-through mince pies, stollen and Panettone. Warm in either a saucepan or blitz quickly in the microwave to get it up to the right temperature.

Buy now £6.00, Sainsbury's

Waitrose Mulled Wine

Made with sunkissed Tempranillo grapes, this Spanish red has its Santa hat on thanks to the added clove and cinnamon notes added to the recipe. The well-balanced serve is best served at a Yuletide dinner or to warm the cockles after a round of carol singing.

Buy now £5.49, Waitrose

Lyme Bay Winery Mulled Wine, 75cl

Fruity, spicy and gently honeyed, Lyme Bay’s bottle of mead wine makes for a smooth and mellow serve when December hits. It’s a much lower ABV than many of the other bottles on our list, making it one to enjoy with all the family.

Buy now £6.74, Amazon

Fortnum & Mason Mulled Wine Spices

If you fancy having a go at mulling your own bottle of red, Fortnums has this spice blend ready to pop into a waiting saucepan. The twine-tied bag is packed with cinnamon, all-spice, cloves and citrus peel, ready to impart its festive flavour payload with as little effort as possible on your part. When ready, decant into mugs and savour by a crackling fire.

Buy now £6.95, F&M

Gluhwein Mulled Wine, Schmitt Sohne

Grab a litre of the good stuff on Amazon. This bottle of Gluhwein is pre-prepared with a rich, smooth flavour that will warm you through. Take it to the next level by slipping in a few shots of spiced rum.

Buy now £13.95, Amazon

Fortnum's Mulled Cider with English Cassis, Ashridge Cider, 75cl

Never been one for mulled wine? Switch to cider instead. Fortnums has this beautiful bottle of Ashridge cider full of warming flavours: expect ginger, cinnamon, star anise and nutmeg, rounded off with a glug of Fortnum’s English Cassis for a rich rosy hue and delicious flavour.

Buy now £8.50, F&M

Top Cuvée Mulled Wine 750ml

Anyone who’s hosted a party knows there’s a gazillion things to do before guests start arriving; faffing about with cinnamon and spices falls low on the list. Luckily the folks at Top Cuvée have a time-saving option: this ready-to-go bottle just needs to be warmed through before serving. Win.

Made with Spanish Tempranillo grapes, it is 13.5 per cent ABV and suitable for vegans too.

Buy now £16.99, Top Cuvée

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