Decantified: Mulling Over Glow Wine
By Jim Ginley
Saturday, November 28, 2009 – Mulled wine is red or white wine heated and served with different spices and fruits.
Most recipes call for red wine with the addition of spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Brandy is also used to enhance the flavor and create a beverage that will warm you up in a lot of ways. Typically mulled wine is a drink served in the colder months, which in northern European countries can be most of the year.Mulled wine came about because wines often went bad and with some honey and spices, it could be revived to a palatable drink, often very potent.
In Germany it is known as Gluwein (GLEW vine)) or “glow wine’ because can glow with heat and also cause those that drink more than a couple glasses to glow themselves.
There are many recipes for this popular winter cocktail, and most often it is made of red wine that is heated with cinnamon sticks, cloves, vanilla bean, citrus and sugar. Instead of grape wine, blueberry or cherry fruit wine is used in the German version.
Nordic countries call it Glogg, and almonds and raisins are also added. Romania adds peppercorn to its boiled wine known as Vin Fiert, and in northern Italy it is called Vin Brule.
There are several brands on the market and Chaucer’s Mead is one we carry at Green’s. It comes with its own bag of spices. In years past, I have made mulled wine and served it as a warm punch at parties. You can easily make your own, starting with some red wine, brandy, and cinnamon sticks. It is a great beverage to serve at this time of year.
Jim Ginley is a 30-year veteran of the local hospitality industry and serves as the wine consultant at Green's Discount Beverages in Myrtle Beach. He can be contacted at
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