Vinho Quente, the Portuguese version of Mulled Wine is a festive drink made with red wine, spices, citrus fruit, and a mix of liqueurs. It’s essentially a hot version of sangria that’s perfect for the festive season or simply to keep you warm on a winter day. You will find it all over Portugal during November and December at Christmas markets and fairs. However, they are much better when prepared at home with a red wine you love. With the bonus that your house will smell amazingly Christmassy. Keep reading to learn how to make Portuguese Mulled Wine.
Essential Ingredients for Crafting a Delicious Mulled Wine
Nothing is quite as comforting than cosying up with a hot drink on a cold winter day, specially if the drink in question is a delicious mulled wine. To me it’s a drink that captures all the different flavours and the warmth of the Christmas holiday!
Mulled wine can be broken down into two elements, the first is the alcohol, mainly red wine, with some people adding different spirits and liqueurs to make it more complex. The second are the fruits, sugar, and mulling spices that will flavour the wine. In Portugal I like to use red wines from Douro which are known for their full body and dark fruit flavours. To make it a bit more interesting I also add port wine, either Tawny or Ruby, and a splash of licor triple seco which is an orange liqueur similar to Cointreau.
My favourite spices to add are vanilla, cinnamon, star anise, and cloves. As for the fruit, I usually go for sliced orange and apples. Mulled wine is quite customizable, so feel free to add your preferred fruits and spices!
The Secret to a Good Mulled Wine
The secret to a good mulled wine is to never boil it, instead it should be simmered gently for all the flavours to infuse. My technique is to first make a syrup with sugar and a splash of water, I then add the spices into this syrup.
When everything is nice and fragrant I add in the sliced fruit for them to release a little bit of juice. After a few minutes I pour in the wines, the orange liqueur, and a little bit of water. I then bring it to a simmer over low heat, cover with the lid and let it rest for about 30 minutes off the heat. When it’s time to serve, all you have to do is bring it back to a simmer over low heat.
The reason you shouldn’t boil it is so the alcohol doesn’t evaporate, leaving your mulled wine with a bitter taste. Without further ado, let’s jump to my Portuguese Mulled Wine recipe!
How to Make Portuguese Mulled Wine
Vinho Quente – How to Make Portuguese Mulled Wine
4
servings5
minutes30
minutes291
kcalMulled Wine is a festive drink made with red wine, spices, citrus fruit, and a mix of liqueurs.
Ingredients
1 Bottle of Red Wine
3 tbsp Light Brown Sugar
150 ml Ruby Port Wine
30 ml Cointreau
1 Cinnamon Stick
6 Whole Cloves
1 Star Anise
1/2 Vanilla Pod
1 Sliced Orange
1 Sliced Apple
1/2 Cup Water
Directions
- Start by prepping the ingredients. Slice the orange and the apple, then split up the vanilla pod lengthwise. Set aside.
- Place a tall saucepan (for which you have a lid) over low heat, add in the sugar, and a splash of water. Scrape the vanilla seeds into the pot, add the pod in too, alongside the cinnamon stick, the whole cloves, and the star anise.
- Once the sugar melts and it turns into a bubbly syrup, add in the sliced orange and apple. Make sure to save a couple of slices of orange for garnishing. Gently press the fruit with a spoon so it releases some juice.
- Pour the Cointreau and port wine on top, give it a stir, let it simmer for a minute or two. Finally, add in the red wine, and about ½ cup of water. Mix well to combine.
- Bring it to a simmer over low heat. Turn off the heat, cover with the lid, let it infuse for about 30 minutes.
- When it’s time to serve, bring it back to a simmer. Pour the mulled wine into 4 mugs, garnish with sliced orange, a cinnamon stick, and star anise. Enjoy!
Tips
- Be careful as not to boil the mulled wine or it may end up bitter.
- If you prefer your mulled wine less sweet you can cut down the amount of sugar used.