Mulled wine: what it is, what they drink with and in what glasses they serve

From the mere word “mulled wine”, the expectation of fertile warmth begins to spread through the body, and a tart aftertaste of spicy wine is felt on the lips. This fragrant drink has not only a fairly solid history, but also a culture of consumption formed over the centuries. All this, coupled with the intricacies of making hot wine and its healing properties, can be a suitable topic for a table conversation.

History of the mulled wine drink

Немецкий glowing wine (mulled wine), which was transformed by Western and Eastern Slavs into mulled wine, is a hot drink made from red or white wine with the addition of spices, sugar, honey, fruits, berries and fruit juices.

Its prototype is the ancient Roman hippocras: a drink consisting of wine at room temperature, mixed with various spices. Imperial conquerors spread recipes for spiced wine throughout central and western Europe.

However, it took almost one and a half thousand years before the principle of preparing hippocras received its refraction in the Germanic and Celtic tradition of heating ritual drinks, which were an integral part of the holidays of the ancient agricultural calendar that fell on the cold season.

The first mention of mulled wine dates back to 1420. It is connected with the German county of Katzenelnbogen, located in the middle reaches of the Rhine. It was from Germany that the idea of ​​mulled wine migrated to the even colder countries of the Scandinavian Peninsula, where the drink became widespread under the name glögg.

At the same time, it would not be entirely true to say that Germany is the birthplace of mulled wine. It seems that the idea of ​​heating wine came up with more than one German. Hence the various names of the drink that exist in different regions of Europe.

For example, in French-speaking countries it is called vin chau, and in the British Isles the English name mulled wine has taken root.

DIY mulled wine set

A century and a half ago, the preparation of a full-bodied drink, flavored with expensive overseas spices and subtropical fruits, was affordable only for very wealthy Europeans. That is why, in the composition of mulled wine, such more accessible herbs as lemon-scented galangal or fragrant rosemary were often used. Today, literally everything that is included in various variations of the drink is completely available to any of us on the shelves of supermarkets or on pharmacy counters.

The culture of drinking hot wine: questions and answers

We offer you a few notes that will make gatherings with heated wine even more enjoyable.

1. What are mulled wine glasses

   The classic utensils for drinking hot alcoholic beverages are a kind of mixture of the actual glass and mug. It is a massive, rather high, elongated glass container with a handle, standing on a low leg.

2. What do they drink mulled wine with?

   In principle, the drink we are interested in is a self-sufficient phenomenon. Thus, an appetizer for mulled wine is completely optional. However, this does not mean that it is, in general, categorically excluded. In particular, thin spicy crackers, crispy biscuits, famous Viennese strudel or pies with fruit filling will be a win-win option for you. Well, of course, fruits extracted from the mulled wine itself (oranges, apples, pears, plums, etc.). If the drink is prepared on the basis of dry red or white wine, you can offer it, respectively, meat or fish dishes (in the case of white wine, a cheese plate or classic fondue will also look good).

   At the same time, gourmets recommend choosing spices for a drink based on the intended snack. For example, in their opinion, ham and meat pates are in perfect harmony with cardamom, boiled pork with nutmeg, and poultry dishes with cloves.

3. Calorie content of mulled wine

   Since hot wine drinks can vary greatly not only in their strength, but also in their sweetness, their calorie content range is quite wide. For example, a textbook drink prepared on the basis of dry red wine contains 136 ccal per 100 g, which is 41 ccal more than the calorie content of borscht, but almost 50 ccal less than the energy value of lean meat products. In turn, 100 g of mulled wine, brewed from semi-sweet wine, and besides, with the addition of cognac brandy, can pull on all 260 ccal.

4. How many degrees in mulled wine

   It is not possible to get an unambiguous answer to this question. In addition to the fact that the composition of the drink can include any wine: from white dry to red fortified, it, on the one hand, may contain juices and water that reduce the strength, on the other hand, such serious alcoholic heavyweights as brandy, whiskey, rum or gin . Thus, the average strength of the drink can vary between 10 and 20 degrees, and this is far from the limit.

The benefits and harms of mulled wine

Whatever medicine pedants say, warmed wine in moderation (1-2 glasses per evening and, of course, not every day), and even with spices, can bring tangible benefits to our body.

First of all, mulled wine can be very useful for colds. Since spicy hot wine promotes vasodilation, its moderate use allows you to speed up blood circulation, which means you can quickly and efficiently warm up in case of hypothermia. In addition, the beneficial substances contained in the drink kill pathogenic bacteria and help restore the normal activity of the respiratory tract affected by a cold. However, it should be remembered that drinks containing alcohol (including mulled wine) are contraindicated at temperatures exceeding 38 degrees. Otherwise, we risk getting a further increase in temperature and weakening of the immune system.

Also, spicy drinks prepared on the basis of warmed wine can, depending on the situation, have a strengthening and calming effect, as well as contribute to the normalization of the gastrointestinal tract.

Finally, the spices contained in mulled wine have healing properties in themselves. In particular, cinnamon and ginger help lower cholesterol, cloves have an antiseptic effect, and cardamom improves body tone.

At the same time, it is strongly recommended to refuse mulled wine to peoplesuffering from high acidity and reduced cardiovascular patency. Also, drinks of this type, however, like any other alcohol, in no case should be combined with pregnancy. In the case of spiced wine, the expectant mother is at an additional risk of developing an allergic reaction to the preservatives contained in the grape drink, as well as to the spices added to it.

And, of course, there can be no question of any mulled wine with alcohol addiction. In such a situation, the best way out is to prepare a non-alcoholic analogue of spiced hot wine, replacing the latter with cherry juice.

See here 11 mulled wine recipes, delicious!

Relevance: 04.02.2017

Tags: wine and vermouth