A warming glass (or mug) of the best mulled wine, lightly spiced with classic festive flavours of cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise and orange peel is one of the classic signs of winter and Christmas celebrations.
Purists will add a homemade festive spice mix to a bottle of simmering red wine, but increasingly, we're turning to pre-made mixes that take out the faff. However these can often be too sweet, too boozy (yes, really!) or just down right foul, and more closely resemble coca cola than a red wine.
Instead, your pre-made mix should taste like a decent red wine, but lightly mulled, so it feels like Christmas in a cup. It might sound obvious, but to some producers it's not.
Just like everything festive, from wacky Christmas puddings with whole oranges inside (thanks to Heston Bleumentahl) to limoncello mince pies, the humble mulled wine has had a glow up. This year we've even been surprised by the addition of rosé mulled wines, as well as a white mulled wine, which feels (and looks) like it shouldn't work, but actually does. Keep reading for my top recommendations for your festive tipple.
The best mulled wines for 2025 are:
How I tested
I had 15 bottles of mulled wine, which I gently heated in a saucepan according to their (admittedly, very brief) instructions on the bottles. Where there was a suggestion of adding whole spices to simmer in the pan, or for decor, I followed suit. I also enlisted the help of family, who blind tested not knowing any of the brands until afterwards. After tasting, I narrowed my list down to the 10 best mulled wines below.
I looked for a good quality wine as a base, that wasn’t overly sweet, with your classic festive spices. I also tried some fun alternatives including white and rosé wines, as well as syrups for mixing with other drinks.
Asda extra special mulled wine
Best: Mulled wine overall
ABV: 11%
Why we love it
- Excellent classic mulled wine taste
- Well-spiced
Take note
- High ABV
Asda's creation is the closest on the list to what I'd expect a classic mulled wine to be. It's nicely spiced with warming Christmas aromas, relying heavily on cinnamon and nutmeg, along with dark berries and a healthy dash of citrus.
It’s also one of the booziest on the list at 11 per cent, which is high, even for a normal wine ABV, while many other mulled wines are around the 5 per cent mark.
I was really impressed with how balanced it was, without being sickly sweet, or smelling like a bowl of potpourri, and it was one I kept going back to. It's certainly set to be a crowd-pleasing bottle, and one people will think has a bigger price tag than the very affordable sub £5 that it actually costs.
Buy now £4.97, Asda.com
Sainsbury's taste the difference mulled wine
Best: Mulled wine for Christmas Day
ABV: 11%
Why we love it
- Good base wine
- Dark fruit flavours
Take note
- High ABV might not be for everyone
It might sound like a silly observation, but this mulled wine tasted the most like red wine out of all of the ones I tasted. It feels like it's made using a decent quality base wine to start with.
It's another one that's quite alcoholic, with an ABV of 11 per cent, but there's plenty of dark red fruit flavours and orange peel notes in there, so that it doesn't smell or taste overly alcoholic. It will make a great option to pop open for the main event, with your Christmas Day pre-lunch canapés.
Buy now £6.25, Sainsburys.co.uk
Waitrose rosé mulled wine
Best: Rosé mulled wine
ABV: 10%
Why we love it
- Delicious, lighter mulled flavour
- Easy drinking
Take note
- Might be too summery for some
Just like all the rosé producers and lovers say every single year - rosé isn't just for summer. And here, that sentiment has never rung truer. Admittedly, I was quite sceptical of this classic southern French pale number, thinking it was just another novelty marketing ploy to get shoppers buying, but after tasting I was pleasantly surprised.
It's a delicious wine that tastes more of summery berries, like strawberry, but it's not overly sweet at all. It's much more drinkable than I thought, and is certainly one of the best mulled wine bottles that’ll have wide appeal.
Buy now £6.00, Waitrose.com
Fortnum & Mason clementine and juniper mulling syrup
Best: Mulling syrup
ABV: 0%
Why we love it
- Fun way to make a new drink
- Delicious clementine flavour
- Will last a long time
Take note
- Not for traditionalists
For those looking for something a little more fun, or different from the traditional mulled wine, this is it. Fortnum & Mason always has something exciting up its sleeve, and this year it's reacting to the growing interest in low-and-no drinking. This is 0 per cent ABV, and celebrates the of-the-moment festive flavour, clementine, which is everywhere this year.
A dash can be added to apple juice for a total zero drink. You can also add it to cider, white or red wine to create a sophisticated festive tipple, without the added alcohol of heavy ABV spirits.
It's a fun grown-up drink that can be really customised. I tried it with white still wine, which created a delicious drink, and added blanched almonds and raisins as stated in the instructions. A little goes a long way, so it will last quite a while. Fortnum & Mason also says it can be used as a salmon cure or even in baked deserts.
Buy now £19.95, Fortnumandmason.com
M&S white mulled wine
Best: White mulled wine
ABV: 8%
Why we love it
- Fun alternative to red
- Lightly spiced
Take note
- A little syrupy
Another welcome alternative to traditional red mulled wine is this white mulled wine from M&S. Though it doesn't look quite right heating it in a pan, once poured into a glass that feeling dissipates, and it's a warming and lightly spiced tipple.
It's very heavy on the pear, with notes of honeysuckle, gooseberry and vanilla too, and is quite sweet, but not sickly. Though it is a little syrupy and does feel like I've just heated up an old-style German riesling wine, but thankfully doesn't taste like that. This will make a great alternative mulled wine for those who aren't fans of a red.
Buy now £6.50, Ocado.com
Selfridges selection mulled wine
Best: Looking mulled wine
ABV: 8.4%
Why we love it
- Made in Cornwall
- Eye-catching label design
- Very aromatic
Take note
- One of the most expensive
As usual, Selfridges knows how to make something look eye-catching and stand out from the crowd. And this bottle certainly does, omitting the usual traditional festive looking label with snowflakes of Christmas trees. Instead, it kept the red and created this fun swirling pattern, plus it is the only bottle to have an on-trend crown cap lid too, instead of a screwcap, immediately making it look more expensive and appealing.
It wins points as it's produced on the north Cornish coast, and has a decent 8.4 per cent ABV, making it feel more like a proper wine. It's very aromatic, with notes of dark cherries and notes of liquorice too.
Buy now £15.99, Selfridges.com
Three Mills spiced clementine mulled wine
Best: Clementine spiced mulled wine
ABV: 5%
Why we love it
- Delicious orange flavour
- Festive cinnamon aromas
Take note
- Some may prefer a subtler flavour
Norfolk winery Three Mills has a wide range of mulled wines this year. With big flavours of sweet citrus clementine and notes of sour cherry, this packs more of a punch than many of the other wines on this list.
As soon as I heated it, it instantly reminded me of making Christingle oranges as a child at school, owing to that sweet smell of an orange pierced with cloves. It has cinnamon heavy aromas initially, but it doesn't taste that cinnamony, so don't let that put you off if it's not a flavour you like.
Buy now £5.00, Ocado.com
Belvoir mulled winter punch
Best: Alcohol-free mulled wine
ABV: 0%
Why we love it
- Great for non-drinkers and children
- Jammy notes
Take note
- Not for traditionalists
With an increase in people not wanting to drink alcohol, or drinks that have very high ABVs, comes better and more varied non-alcoholic options. This bottle from Belvoir, an excellent independent drinks producer from Leicestershire, is exactly the tonic for those types of drinkers. It's 0 per cent ABV, but what it's missing in alcohol is made up for in its great flavour.
It has a jammy flavour, with hints of strawberry and cinnamon and cloves, but feels much more juice like as it’s thinner than most wines. This makes it a great way for kids to feel involved in a festive tradition too. Plus, it can be served both warm or cold.
Buy now £3.55, Ocado.com
Waitrose mulled wine
Best: Smooth mulled wine
ABV: 10%
Why we love it
- Rounded and balanced spices
- Good quality base wine
Take note
- Heavy on the citrus notes
This is a very smooth red wine that tastes like it's made with a quality base wine initially. The spices are more rounded and balanced than in some others in the list. I liked that it's very orangey and it's slightly boozier than some of the others too, owing to its 10 per cent ABV.
It's made in Germany, and the instructions say to add a slice of orange, which I did before drinking, for even more citrus notes.
Buy now £6.00, Waitrosecellar.com
Co-op mulled wine
Best: Mulled wine for Christmas parties
ABV: 8%
Why we love it
- Decent base wine
- Tastes more expensive than its price tag
Take note
- Heavy on the citrus notes
With a classic red and golden label, which looks like it's come straight off the shelf from a traditional German Christmas market, this mulled wine is pretty classic in taste too.
Its spices aren't too overpowering, but it's quite heavy on the citrus notes that balance it. It's another one with a decent base wine and again, coming in at less than £5, is one to bulk buy for your Christmas parties.
Buy now £4.90, Coop.co.uk
Aldi mulled wine
Best: Vanilla tasting mulled wine
ABV: 5%
Why we love it
- Nice vanilla creaminess
- Low ABV
Take note
- May be too mellow for some
Surprisingly, this wine doesn't taste that, er, winey. It's quite mellow on the spices, which makes it a good option for drinkers who prefer just a hint of that festive flavour.
It's also a low ABV wine, at just 5 per cent, which makes it a great choice for those who don't often drink or prefer low alcohol options. There's quite a pleasing vanilla creaminess to it, too.
Right now it’s not available to buy online, so head to your local Aldi to pick this up.
Buy now £2.89, Aldi.co.uk
Your questions on mulled wine answered
What is the best mulled wine?
As ever, not all mulled wines are made equally. Some we've tasted have been almost terrifyingly sweet, while others have reminded us of cough syrup. But among some of the bad ones, we've found plenty that are well worth their price tag.
Asda's Exceptional range has lots of impressive items this year, as well as a very affordable price tag, including the Asda Exceptional mulled wine, that's less than £5.
I also really rated the Waitrose rosé mulled wine, which though doesn't sound or look like it should work, it really, really does. It will make a great addition on Christmas Day for rosé lovers, and is something fun and different if you’re bored of standard mulled wines.
How I selected the best mulled wines
To help you find the very best bottle to buy, I considered the following factors when taste testing each tipple:
How to make mulled wine
Renowned sommelier, Jan Konetzki, has one of the world’s most admirable palates, and he has treated us to his delicious mulled wine recipe. If you fancy having a go at making a batch yourself, stick on a festive playlist, roll up your sleeves and turn up the heat.
Sugar spice syrup
This can be made all in one pot, simply boil for five minutes then let it cool a little.
The wine
Make this in a separate pot.
First, heat the wine gently, then add the spiced syrup. Simmer, don’t boil, for 10 mins.
Serve up warm or let it cool and serve over ice, garnished with orange zest and a cinnamon stick – yum.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Emma Henderson is a writer and editor who specialises in covering food and drink. As the former editor of IndyBest, Emma has written plenty of reviews, from the best supermarket sourdough to the best champagnes, to help you find the top products to buy in each category. She was also the editor of IndyEats, The Independent’s monthly digital food magazine, and was twice shortlisted for “best food magazine” at the Guild of Food Writers Awards.
She’s been to more than 30 vineyards in Europe and the UK and has been writing about wine for almost a decade, as well as having a WSET Level 1 qualification in wines, all making her well-placed to deliver a verdict on the best mulled wine.
For more festive tipples, read our round-up of the best wine advent calendars
