A Short History Of Mulled Christmas Wine

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As Christmas time comes upon us once more, the plethora of Christmassy foods and drinks appear again on our supermarket shelves. As December the 25th approaches, it might seem strange we don't eat and drink these foods all year round. One quintessential Christmas treat is mulled wine - for many, the ultimate Christmas wine. In this article we'll look at the history behind this festive tipple.

As the king of Christmas wines, perhaps, it is little wonder that it has spread throughout the world as a top seasonal favourite. While it may be a globetrotting wine now, it actually started out in Europe, though where exactly is unclear. Germany, parts of France and England all seem to have some connection with it. Many centuries ago, if a wine turned bad, then those who owned the wine and really wanted to imbibe it once more - added honey and spices. This drowned out any ill-taste and meant wine merrymaking could continue.

While it wasn't a Christmas wine when it came about, it has become such these days - often drunk throughout the winter months.

Gluhwein

This form of mulled wine is commonly drunk in German speaking countries and areas of France - namely the Alsace region of France. It is derived from red wine which is then heated and spiced. Together with sugar, spices added include cinnamon sticks, vanilla pods, cloves and citrus fruits. It is most common for red wine to be used in this process, as opposed to blueberry or cherry wines - or indeed any other fruit based wine other than that derived from grape. Sometimes rum is added to this Christmas wine to give an extra kick in the winter cold.

There are special Gluhwein tankards and the oldest of these is thought to be a German one from 1420. This gives an impression of how long this Christmas wine has been drunk for.

English Mulled Wine

The English too have not been shy of a little mulled wine, holding it up as a very traditional festive wine. In terms of ebign documented, it first appeared in Mrs Beeton's Book of House Management, dated 1869. The recipe is similar to the German type, but suggest the use of dry toast or biscuits to be eaten alongside.

Ultimately, mulled wine is set to remain one of the most popular Christmas wine types, having become popular around the globe at this special time of year.


About the Author:
Dom Donaldson is a wine expert.
Find out more about Christmas wine the offers availabe for this Christmas



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