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Would you spend £27 on a bottle of ready made MULLED WINE?

BY GIULIA CROUCH

Hot, boozy and comforting, mulled wine has long been a staple at Christmas markets and on the ski slopes. But trying to recreate it at home by faffing around with spice bags can often give disappointing results. this year, mulled wine or gluhwein — as the Germans call it — has had a chic makeover courtesy of some sophisticated winemakers.

James Reed, a wine expert at Cadman Fine Wines, says: ‘Mulled wine is now following the premium trend. However, it’s worth noting that Christmas is gloriously tacky so I don’t think all mulled wine will get too posh.’

We test some of the hippest tipples . . .

SUBTLY SPICED Shop Cuvée Mulled Wine, £16.99, shopcuvee.com

WHAT IS IT? Modesty is a virtue, but this bottle, which calls itself the ‘world’s first delicious mulled wine’, doesn’t care. Released last year, it sets the drinker’s expectations high. the label is attractive and I love the red wax seal on the top. TASTES LIKE: opening the bottle, you get a fragrant, warm mix of spicy notes — nutmeg and star anise with highlights of citrus. As it warms up, it fills the kitchen with the most pleasing, comforting scents. I’m a huge fan of the taste. this bucks

the stereotype of mouth-coatingly sweet mulled wines. Sophisticated and subtle. A must-try. 4/5

POSH PLONK

Harvey Nichols Mulled Wine, £16.50, harveynichols.com WHAT IS IT? A limited edition made from wine from the Zellertal Rheinhessen and Pfalz regions of Germany. As this is one of the pricier wines on the list, I expected it to be one of the best. TASTES LIKE: It’s so sharp my friend says that she can feel the steam stinging the inside of her nose as she takes a whiff. After tasting, she pulls a face as if she’s been pinched and complains: ‘It’s burning the back of my throat.’

Not the best review, but I don’t hate it. It’s punchy and has a medicinal quality, but I enjoy the acidic, even slightly bitter edge. It could have been tempered by a slice of orange. If you’re after a traditional taste, this isn’t for you, but if you’d like to try something different and you don’t have a sweet tooth, give it a go. 3/5

TOAST TO TRADITION Daylesford Mulled Wine, £12.50, daylesford.com

WHAT IS IT? New this year, this is a Spanish wine mulled in Devon by Daylesford organic, the uber-posh farmshop that counts PM Boris Johnson among its fans. TASTES LIKE: this has a soft, sweet juiciness to it and tastes like blackcurrants and blueberries. It’s the most mellow and fruity of the lot and tastes more diluted, with hints of orange juice. It’s dangerously easy to drink and pairs perfectly with smoky, spicy nuts also sold by Daylesford. It balances star anise, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove expertly. A lovely drink. 4/5

CHEERS TO HOT CIDER

Fortnum & Mason Mulled Cider with English Cassis, £7.50, fortnumandmason.com

WHAT IS IT? A high-class mulled cider made by the Queen’s grocer. Coming from the West Country, I love cider, but this one, which is mixed with a hint of cassis (a blackcurrant liqueur) is truly exceptional. TASTES LIKE: It’s so fruity and fresh, you feel like you’re biting into the crispest, juiciest apple. once again it’s not too sweet and is pleasingly peppered with hints of ginger, licorice and cinnamon.

It’s like hot, delicious apple juice and, similar to the Daylesford wine, goes down with worrying ease. But at only 4.6 ABV it’s less boozy than mulled wine, which means I can have another glass. 5/5

CHRISTMAS IN A CUP Ableforth’s Winter Mulled Cup Liqueur, £27.70, ableforths.com

WHAT IS IT? A warming mix of cognac, port and festive spices. Designed to be added to a bottle of red, this is a fancier, boozier version of a spice bag. However if, like me, you’re not a label reader, you may whack it all in the pan at once. Luckily, I managed to funnel it back into the bottle and start again. TASTES LIKE: this one smells absolutely, intoxicatingly phenomenal — like the best spiced rum ever, with a heady mix of lemon, vanilla, cloves, cinnamon and port.

It’s more faffy than the others as you have to prepare it, but it’s worth the effort. this is deliciously fragrant and makes even the cheapest bottle of wine taste like Christmas in a cup. It uses colddistilled orange and lemon peel and fresh root ginger to create something really special. 5/5

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2021-12-02T08:00:00.0000000Z

2021-12-02T08:00:00.0000000Z

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