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:

• **Best overall **– Asda extra special mulled wine: £4.97, Asda.com
• **Best for Christmas day **– Sainsbury’s taste the difference mulled wine: £6.25, Sainsburys.co.uk
• Best rosé mulled wine – Waitrose rosé mulled wine: £6, Waitrose.com
• Best white mulled wine – M&S white mulled wine: £6.50, Ocado.com
• Best alcohol-free mulled wine – Belvoir mulled winter punch: £3.35, Ocado.com

How I tested

I found mulled wine options for the traditionalists and those seeking something different (Emma Henderson/The Independent)

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.

Your questions on mulled wine answered

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:

• Taste and quality: I looked for a good quality wine as a base, with well balanced, warming and festive spices, as well as bottles that weren’t overly sweet.
• Variety: I was also keen to find some fun alternatives, including syrups for mixing as well as white and rosé wines.
• Value for money: I compared the taste and quality to the price point, judging whether each bottled of mulled wine was worth your cash.
• Growers: I gave points to UK grown wines, as I love to support smaller wineries.

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.

• 50ml port
• 50g sugar
• Zest of an orange
• 3 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise
• 1 cardamom pod
• 3 black pepper corns
• 1/3 vanilla pod
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Pinch of salt

The wine

Make this in a separate pot.

• 1/3 bottle of bordeaux
• 1/3 bottle of southern rhone
• 1/3 bottle of old or oxidised red (trust the process)

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