Spiced Wine Recipe for the Crockpot
This spiced wine recipe for the crockpot is a warm, fragrant mulled red with orange, cinnamon and cloves. The slow cooker holds it at serving temperature for hours, so guests can help themselves.
Spiced Wine Recipe for the Crockpot
Course: DrinksDifficulty: Easy10
servings10
minutes2
hours30
minutesRed wine warmed with citrus, spices and a little honey. It stays warm on LOW for hours.
Ingredients
2 bottles (750 ml each) dry red wine, such as Merlot or Zinfandel
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
1/4 cup brandy, optional
2 oranges, sliced into rounds
1 lemon, sliced
4 cinnamon sticks
8 whole cloves
3 star anise pods
1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
3 slices fresh ginger
1 vanilla bean, split, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, optional
Extra orange slices and cinnamon sticks, for garnish
Directions
- Pour both bottles of wine into a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Stir in the orange juice, honey and brandy if using, until the honey dissolves.
- Add the orange and lemon slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, allspice, ginger and cranberries.
- Add the vanilla and give it a gentle stir.
- Cover and heat on LOW for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or HIGH for 1 hour. The wine should steam but never simmer or boil.
- Taste at the 1 hour mark and add a little more honey if it is too dry.
- If you want less spice, fish out the cloves and star anise after the first hour.
- Switch to WARM and hold for up to 3 hours. Remove the fruit after 3 hours so the wine does not turn bitter.
- Ladle into mugs, straining out the spices.
- Garnish each mug with an orange slice and a cinnamon stick.
Notes
- Use cranberry juice in place of half the orange juice for a tart edge. For an alcohol-free version, use red grape juice and a splash of apple cider vinegar. Leftover wine keeps 3 days in a jar in the fridge.
Why this version works
Mulled wine is meant to be warmed, not boiled, and a slow cooker is the right tool for that. The heat stays low enough that the alcohol does not boil off, and the spices infuse for as long as you let them. A pot on the stove needs watching so it does not simmer and turn harsh. That is something you only learn the hard way, with a pot of bitter, steaming wine at the back of the stove.
The crock also works as a serving station. Guests can ladle their own, and the wine stays hot for an entire afternoon without any attention. The orange and honey soften the tannins, so even a cheap red tastes smooth. Cold November air and a mug of this smell like a holiday on their own.
Ingredient notes
Red wine: Pick a fruity, dry red with low tannin, such as Merlot, Zinfandel or Grenache. Skip anything expensive, because the spices cover subtle notes. Bottles with a screw cap are fine, since the flavor comes from the spices.
Whole spices: Use whole cinnamon, cloves and star anise, not ground. Ground spices leave the wine cloudy and gritty. Rinse and pat dry any fruit that is going in the pot.
Oranges: Fresh juice and slices give a clean citrus flavor. Wash the fruit if you plan to leave the peel on. Fresh ginger gives a gentle heat and keeps the sweetness from feeling flat.
Honey: It dissolves fast and rounds out the flavor. Maple syrup is a good swap and tastes a bit deeper. Make sure the wine is warm before you add the honey, so it dissolves.
Brandy: Optional, but a quarter cup adds warmth and body, and gives the wine a pleasant finish. If you leave it out, the drink is lighter but still good.
Tips for the best result
Never boil it: Too much heat drives off the alcohol and makes the wine taste bitter and flat. Keep it on LOW or WARM, and stay under a steaming simmer. A thermometer reading of about 150 degrees is the target.
Limit the cloves: This is the most common mistake. Cloves turn medicinal after a couple of hours, so use eight at the most and remove them at the one hour mark. Taste at the one hour mark and pull out the cloves if they are getting strong.
Strain when serving: A small sieve or a slotted ladle keeps cloves and seeds out of the mug. Keep the lid on between servings so the heat stays steady.
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Swaps and variations
Use white wine and apple cider for a lighter version, with a pear and a cardamom pod. Swap the honey for brown sugar if you like a deeper, caramel flavor. A bit of port makes the wine richer and sweeter. Add a little pomegranate juice for a deep color.
Do not use a sweet, sugary wine, which turns syrupy once warmed. Use a dry red, and sweeten it yourself.
What to serve with it
Serve in heatproof mugs with cookies, a cheese board or salty nuts. Set the crock on a side table with a ladle, a stack of mugs and a small bowl of garnishes. Offer a pitcher of warm cider for guests who do not drink alcohol. Wrap the cookies in paper so guests can carry them with a mug.
Storing, freezing and reheating
Strain out the fruit and spices, cool and refrigerate in a clean jar for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan or the microwave until steaming, but not boiling. Avoid leaving the spices in overnight, as the flavor becomes too sharp.
It does not freeze well, as the flavor flattens, so make only what you need. A stove is the safer way to reheat.
Spiced Wine Recipe for the Crockpot at a glance
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cooking time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Servings: 10 servings
- Ingredients: 14, led by bottles (750 ml each) dry red wine, fresh orange juice, honey or maple syrup, brandy
Tips for Spiced Wine Recipe for the Crockpot
Use cranberry juice in place of half the orange juice for a tart edge. For an alcohol-free version, use red grape juice and a splash of apple cider vinegar. Leftover wine keeps 3 days in a jar in the fridge.
Spiced Wine Recipe for the Crockpot FAQ
How long does Spiced Wine Recipe for the Crockpot take?
Spiced Wine Recipe for the Crockpot takes 2 hours 30 minutes of cooking after 10 minutes of prep.
How many people does Spiced Wine Recipe for the Crockpot serve?
This recipe makes 10 servings.
What do I need to make Spiced Wine Recipe for the Crockpot?
14 ingredients, led by bottles (750 ml each) dry red wine, fresh orange juice, honey or maple syrup, brandy. Amounts are in the recipe card above.
