When the temps dip low and the frosty winds blow, this warming cinnamon orange spiced wine becomes the perfect winter companion. The sweetness and warmth of cinnamon, brandy, and brown sugar steal the show in this easy spiced wine recipe you can sip and serve throughout the holiday season.

We pretty much had two back-to-back snowstorms here in Chicago that blanketed everything in snowy frost (as you can see from my front door…)

The fresh snow was literally so soft that all my attempts at building a snowman with my 8-year-old ended in powdery mounds all over the ground! All this snowy wonderland weather made me crave nothing more than a toasty, warm spiced hot wine. It’s the perfect cocktail to cozy up with by the fire, especially during the winter season. It also doesn’t hurt that it makes the entire house smell like Christmas!

What Is Mulled Wine?

It’s so easy to make your own spiced wine with spices you most likely have hanging out in your spice rack or pantry. Traditionally, the idea of mulled beverages originated in the Middle Ages when people began combining whole spices in heated beverages to keep warm in the harshest winters. These spices eventually made their way into wines and ciders.

When To Serve Holiday Spiced Wine:

Serve this spiced wine recipe as a fall drink

This cozy and delicious mulled wine recipe can be enjoyed in the fall and all the way through the winter. Serve with spiced wine recipe with these pumpkin maple donuts as you celebrate the autumn season.

Serve this holiday spiced wine recipe as a festive christmas drink

Pour this simple mulled wine recipe as a cozy Christmas fireside warmer throughout the winter. Dot with pomegranate seeds, or a handful of fresh cranberries. Garnish with red apple chunks, orange slices, and cinnamon sticks for a festive serving at your holiday party. Enjoy the cozy warming mix of brandied Christmas spiced wine while the kiddos sip that hot chocolate…

Serve this Recipe as a Thanksgiving spiced wine

All the warming spice flavors and fruity red wine notes make this a perfect Thanksgiving spiced wine too! Serve as a festive warming cocktail before the meal or right alongside those tasty appetizers. Place a thermos full to keep it hot right on the buffet table next to a bowl with citrus fruits and garnishes to self serve.

Traditional Mulled Wine Spices Usually Include:

• cinnamon
• clove
• nutmeg
• allspice
• brown sugar

make a pot of warming spiced wine

Empty a bottle of wine into a pot and add some spices: a few star anise pods, cinnamon sticks, and/or cloves. Alternatively, you might choose to add nutmeg or allspice. All work really well together in the wine. Any grocery store wine selection or familiar brand will work fine: Pinot Noir, Merlot, Shiraz, an easy Cabernet Sauvignon… Any of these dry red wines will work. No need to use expensive wine because we’ll transform it into heated wine with sweetener and hit it with citrus and warm spices anyway!

Whole cloves are quite powerful so if you don’t like a strong clove flavor, use a little less. I sprinkled in just about a teaspoon in mine.

Add Fresh Sliced Orange to your spiced wine

Next, toss in some orange peel or orange slices in with the spices. Orange zest is a nice added touch as well.

quick flavor tip:

Before you slice up your orange, you can squeeze out the fresh orange juice and set it aside for later, then quarter it or slice it up and toss those pieces in. This adds bright and fresh citrus notes that complement everything nicely.

If you love the idea of more toasty warming hot winter drinks, try this easy rum-spiked spice tea!

Simmer & Steep the spiced wine mixture

Over medium/high heat, bring everything to a simmer. When the mixture just barely starts to come to a simmer, put the cover on and turn the heat down to low. Try not to let it boil so that the alcohol in the wine doesn’t cook out.

Now with the cover on and heat on low, set a timer to steep everything for 10 minutes. When the steep time is up, remove the cover. The easiest way to get all the bits and pieces out is to run everything through a strainer. When finished, return the wine back to the pot.

Now with the heat off on the stove top, while the pot and wine are still warm, add in the brown sugar, brandy, and reserved orange juice from earlier, if using. Whisk everything together until combined. You’ll now taste a delicious, flavorful, sweeter wine! Taste for adjustments where needed.

Serve this easy spiced wine recipe nice and warm. Garnish with orange slices, apple slices, or cinnamon sticks. It really makes a cozy and delicious fireside cocktail that reminds of you of that hot spiced wine they serve at the Christmas markets! Here in Chicago we usually visit the Christkindlmarket right around the holidays. Every time I sip a festive mug of their German Glühwein, I’m reminded all over again why I love hot spiced wine so much! It just tastes like a cup of warm Christmas cheer.

A Bit On The Brandy:

You definitely don’t have to have brandy, it’s totally optional. I feel like I enjoy the brandy because it adds a little something extra. Brandy itself is quite delicious and carries rich notes of dried raisin, vanilla, and spice. In addition to blending in nicely, it also adds smooth mellow notes of dried fruit and vanilla.

Tipsy Tips:

• You could also use a spiced rum, apple brandy (such as calvados), vanilla brandy, or cherry brandy. Any of these would make delicious additions to this easy mulled wine recipe.
• In place of brown sugar, you could also try other sweeteners such as plain granulated sugar, honey, agave nectar, or even maple syrup.
• If you’re not sure how much of your sweetener to use, grab a tablespoon and take it from there. Taste every time you add a bit until the sweetness is just right.

If you’re really loving seasonal, fall, and cozy sippers, you’ve gotta dive into this scrumptious red apple cranberry Thanksgiving punch, and why not? Whip up this tasty chilled fireball apple cider cocktail when you want a tasty spiked cider drink!

I’d definitely like to try this warming spiced wine recipe again with whole allspice in it… I feel like that would bring an awesome flavor to this festive drink as well.

What spices do you like to use in your mulled wine? If you try this warming cinnamon orange spiced wine recipe, or make your own kind, rate the recipe below or tell me all about yours! I’d love to hear how it comes together!! Here’s to staying warm (at least ’til spring)…Cheers!

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