Mulled wine: the unexpected origins of this traditional drink

Vin brulé is a delicious drink with a spicy and fruity flavor, and it should be served hot. It is usually found at local markets during the Christmas season and is ideal for warming up during the winter period. It is prepared with spices, citrus peels, and of course, the main ingredient is red wine, strictly full-bodied and of high quality. The origins of this hot wine are very ancient, and the recipes have also changed over time. Let's discover together what the history is and the traditional recipe for vin brulé. 
 

Vin brulé recipe: origins and traditions

Vin brulé is a tasty and rich drink typical of the mountainous areas of Italy and continental Europe.
This hot beverage dates back to ancient Greece and reached the Romans, who called it conditum paradoxum. One of the earliest testimonies of vin brulé dates back to Apicius, who in "De re Coquinaria" describes a wine heated and flavored with spices. Pepper was usually used and it was sweetened with honey, served at the end of the meal as a digestif.
The vinum conditum of the Romans fits into a vast category of vina aromatise, that is, wines corrected and flavored with herbs, cereals, dried flowers, fresh fruits, berries, and spices.

In ancient times, black pepper was widely used in both dishes and beverages, but it was later replaced with the introduction of cinnamon. This spice, with its intense and decisive flavor, began to be used for the preparation of dishes and beverages. It is believed that the introduction of cinnamon in the preparation of vin brulé is related to the physician Hippocrates, a great supporter of the medicinal properties of spices. According to him, spices had soothing and disinfectant properties, making the wine invigorating.
At this time, the process of preparing the "Hippocratic sleeve," a tool related to medical-pharmaceutical practices from which the "Hippocratic wine" was also derived, was modified. The Hippocratic wine was a wine prepared with spices and sugar, used as a natural remedy for certain diseases.
 

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Hot wine with spices and sugar spread throughout Europe, and different recipes began to emerge, typical of each region based on local products and tastes. In England, it is called mulled wine, in France vin chaud, in Germany gluhwein, and in the Scandinavian countries glogg.
Many think that the recipe for vin brulé is typical of Veneto, but as you have seen, its history is much more intricate.
In Italy, this drink is called vin brulé, a French term that means "burnt wine." In France, it is called "vin chaud," which means hot wine in Italian; curious, isn't it? 
 

How to make vin brulé: ingredients and preparation

How is vin brulé made? There is no single vin brulé recipe as it is prepared throughout Europe, and each country has its own recipe. In Italy, especially in the northern region, you can usually find it at Christmas markets. Let's see how to make vin brulé and the various steps involved. The ingredients for the vin brulé recipe are as follows: 1 liter of full-bodied red wine, 1 lemon peel, 2 cinnamon sticks, 5 juniper berries, nutmeg, 100g of sugar, 1 orange peel, 8 cloves, and 1 star anise.

To make the vin brulé recipe, you should prepare all the necessary spices and have them on hand, along with the lemon and orange peels derived from untreated citrus fruits.
Start by pouring some sugar into a steel saucepan with not too high sides and add the two cinnamon sticks, juniper berries, cloves, and star anise. Also, add the peels of the two citrus fruits and finally pour in the full-bodied red wine.
Place the pot on the stove and slowly bring it to a boil: simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved.

At this point, take a wooden skewer and ignite one of its ends, bringing it close to the boiling wine in the pot: this way, the alcohol in the wine will catch fire, and you should let it flame until it extinguishes by itself, so be careful not to burn yourself.
Finally, the last step of the vin brulé recipe is to strain the wine through a fine mesh strainer. Now that you know how to make vin brulé, all you have to do is try to prepare it!
 

Vin brulé original recipe: is there a master recipe?

As we have seen above, there is no single vin brulé recipe because, being a drink typical of multiple regions, each country has created its own recipe based on its own tastes and the fruits of the territory.
Typically, the ingredients used for the vin brulé recipe are sugar, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, citrus peels, sugar, and juniper berries.
However, there are some variants of the original vin brulé recipe that include the addition of ginger and cardamom, two very strong spices. Another vin brulé recipe, instead, includes the use of apple, sliced thin and added to the pot with the other ingredients.

The vin brulé recipe also suggests that this hot drink be enjoyed along with chestnuts or a strudel to further enhance its flavors.
Vin brulé original recipe: the ideal solution to warm up during the winter period and spend time in company sipping good hot wine. It is not just a recipe for vin brulé; it is a tradition that every year brings many people together in the city to share a moment all together.
We are talking about a unique feeling, strolling through the streets of a town full of Christmas markets, we are talking about that moment when you are in company drinking good vin brulé to warm up.
In short, vin brulé is much more than just a simple recipe; it is a true tradition that is repeated every year.
 

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Wine for vin brulé: the best wine is a full-bodied one

Often during tastings, we ask ourselves what the wine for vin brulé is. The wine, in this case, is not just the main ingredient, but it also determines the final result and quality of this drink. We recommend staying away from cheap table wines, especially those in cartons because you would end up with mediocre hot wine. Let's see instead which high-quality wines you can use as wine for vin brulé. The fact is that vin brulé should be fragrant, seducing those tasting this drink, and finally, it should be good. It is advised to use a soft wine, rich in aromas and structure, preferably with a good residual sugar content.

As you have understood, it is essential to have a top-quality raw material! In Romagna, the best wine for vin brulé is Sangiovese, which you can conveniently find on our e-commerce if you are not from that region. Sangiovese is a full-bodied red wine, fruity, and with an intense aroma.
Emilia, on the other hand, offers a lambrusco Grasparossa, known for its flavor of red forest fruits, raspberries, currants, and wild fruits. There are delicate notes of spices and aromatic herbs that make this 100% Grasparossa truly unique.
For the Veneto region, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Nero, and Schiava are usually used. In the Langhe, we see the use of Barolo as the base for vin brulé.

As for the Veneto region, there is a debate about the color of vin brulé: is there white vin brulé? Well, yes, we have discovered that there is also white vin brulé, usually prepared with Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay. It is thought to be a variant of the traditional vin brulé recipe, sometimes prepared with the addition of apple juice.

On our e-commerce Spaghetti & Mandolino, you can find all the best wines to create a vin brulé worthy of tradition.

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