Vin Brulé (Italian-Style Mulled Wine), a Festive Winter Drink

By
Danette St. Onge
Danette St. Onge
Danette St. Onge
Danette St. Onge is a food writer specializing in international cuisines. She authored "The Better-Than-Takeout Thai Cookbook" and has also served as the Italian Food Expert for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/3/22
2 glasses of vin brule, Italian mulled wine
Westend61/Getty Images
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Around late November or early December each year, Christmas markets start to appear in piazzas all over Italy, selling handcrafted gifts and typical holiday foods and drinks such as vin brûlé, a hot, spiced mulled wine usually served in ceramic mugs. It's a mystery why a French name (literally meaning "burnt wine") is used in Italy since in France mulled wine is known as vin chaud ("hot wine"). But whatever the story behind the name, it's a warming, aromatic beverage that's lovely to sip on cold winter days. It's great to make a big potful of it for a holiday party and ladle mugfuls of it out as guests arrive–with the bonus of making your house smell wonderful and festive!

Use a full-bodied, fruity red wine for this, but do not waste a high-quality or expensive wine. Go for a cheap merlot, cabernet sauvignon, Primitivo (Zinfandel), Negroamaro or Salice Salentino. A version of vin brûlé called bisò is made in the Emilia-Romagna region with Sangiovese. 

This recipe is basic and simple, but feel free to add additional spices as desired (suggestions below) and adjust the sweetener to taste. 

If you want to give your vin brûlé a little extra kick, you can fortify it with 2 tablespoons of spiced rum, Grand Marnier, triple sec, brandy, cognac, apple brandy or Calvados (a French apple brandy).​

If on the other hand, you want to tone it down a bit, you can add either additional freshly squeezed orange juice or apple cider to dilute the wine a bit. 

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup sugar, or honey

  • Orange peel strips from 1 orange (without pith)

  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

  • Lemon peel strips from 1 lemon (without pith)

  • 2 cinnamon sticks

  • 4 whole cloves

  • 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg

  • 1 bottle full-bodied red wine

  • 1/4-inch piece ginger, peeled and bruised

  • 1 whole star anise

  • 1/2 vanilla bean pod

  • 10 whole allspice berries

  • 5 whole black peppercorns

  • 1 to 2 bay leaves

Steps to Make It

  1. In a nonreactive, heavy pot (an enamel-lined Dutch oven is ideal for this because it holds heat well to keep your mulled wine warm once it's ready), mix the sugar or honey, citrus zest, orange juice, and spices.

  2. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat until the sugar or honey is dissolved and an aromatic syrup has formed about 4 to 5 minutes. Then lower the heat to low and add the wine. Bring to just a bare simmer and continue over low heat for about 15 minutes or until wine is flavorful. Be careful not to let the wine boil, which adversely affects the flavor. 

  3. Ladle through a fine-mesh strainer into mugs or heat-resistant glasses to serve. You can garnish each mug with an orange slice or stick of cinnamon if desired. Serve steaming hot.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
188 Calories
0g Fat
25g Carbs
1g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 188
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 9mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 25g 9%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 17g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 17mg 86%
Calcium 59mg 5%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 267mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)