National Mulled Wine Day Date in the current year: March 3, 2024

Mulled wine is an alcoholic beverage made by heating wine with various spices. It is traditionally made with red wine, but variations made with white wine also exist. Other ingredients in mulled wine may include dried fruit (apples, orange zest, raisins), fresh fruit (apple or orange slices), and sugar or honey. Mulled wine may be spiked with a liquor (brandy, rum, vodka) or fortified wine.

A spice mixture used to make mulled wine and other spiced alcoholic drinks that are meant to be served hot or warm (for example, hot apple cider, glögg, hot buttered rum) is called mulling spices. The combination of spices may vary depending on the recipe, but it usually includes allspice, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, and less frequently cardamon, fennel, ginger, peppercorn, or star anise.

The earliest mention of wine being spiced and heated date back to ancient Rome. It can be found in Curculio, a comedic play written by Plautus in the 2nd century BC. The Romans brought wine, viticulture and presumably mulled wine to many parts of Europe, including the British Isles. An early recipe for mulled wine can be found in The Forme of Cury, a 14th-century English cookbook. It incorporated red wine, sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, galangal, long pepper, marjoram, nutmeg, and grains of paradise or rosemary.

Mulled wine is a popular winter drink and a staple at Christmas markets in many European countries. It is called Glühwein in the German-speaking countries, the Alsace region of France and the South Tyrol region of Italy. In Nordic countries, a similar winter drink is called glögg. Although it is usually made with wine, there are variations of glögg made with brandy or other spirits.

National Mulled Wine Day is celebrated on March 3 even though the drink is typically associated with winter and Christmastime. Nevertheless the date makes some sense because the weather in early March is still cold in many places and mulled wine is an excellent way to keep yourself warm (of course, if you don’t need to work or drive). The origins of the holiday are unclear, but this is typical for many food and drink-related holidays. Don’t let it stop you from celebrating!

On March 3, invite your friends over and make some mulled wine together. You can make several batches with difference spice and fruit combinations and then decide which one you like the best. And don’t forget to share the recipe on social media with the hashtags #NationalMulledWineDay and #MulledWineDay to spread the word about the holiday.

When you’re making mulled wine, there are a few things you should keep in mind. First, don’t use expensive wine; opt for affordable full-bodied and fruity red wines such as Garnacha (Grenache), Merlot or Zinfandel and avoid red wines that are very light like Pinot Noir or high in tannins like Cabernet Sauvignon. Second, heat the wine very gently and don’t let it boil because it will make the alcohol evaporate.