Could White Mulled Wine Take Off?

The trademark festive drink, mulled wine recipes vary on their flavourings. Some are served with a cinnamon stick, others steeped in nutmeg, yet most agree on the central ingredient being red wine. This Christmas, though, UK drinkers will be introduced to a new variety which uses white wine as the base. 

White Mulled Wine Arrives In The UK

M&S is helming the trend, adding white mulled wine to the shelves this winter. The store is the first British retailer to stock the drink, inspired by glühwein, a regular fixture in German and Austrian Christmas markets. Weihnachtsmärkte in Berlin is particularly well-known for its white glühwein.

Maddie Love, a product developer at M&S Food, said she hoped ‘its lighter, fruitier notes will appeal to those who prefer a more delicate flavour profile’. 

This sentiment was echoed by London sommelier Amber Gardner, who told the Guardian: ‘Across the whole sphere of wine, people are moving towards freshness and minerality. They don’t want to feel weighed down by heavy, oaky and often alcoholic reds – so they’re turning more and more to white wine. As we all know, mulled wine can err on the side of sickly and cloying, so I reckon mulled wine is overdue a nouvelle vague! I can see a white version doing really well in the coming years.’

Christmas market in Berlin

Mulled wine dates back many centuries. Its origins can be traced back to the Roman Empire, where it was known as ‘conditum paradoxum’ – however, it was the Victorians who brought the drink into Christmas festivities. Versions began being served during the yuletide season all over Europe, but the tipple became particularly big in Germany.

The idea of using white instead of red wine, though, is a more modern phenomenon. It’s usually made using a dry white wine, and flavoured with festive spices, like star anise, cloves and cinnamon, alongside fruits such as oranges and lemons. Just like with traditional mulled wine, this is boiled and served steaming hot. The M&S version integrates flavours of vanilla and pear, on the market for £6.50 a bottle.