As the festive season approaches, supermarket shelves are filling with Christmas essentials, from mince pies to decadent desserts and, crucially, pre-mixed mulled wine. With so many options available, choosing the perfect bottle can feel overwhelming. To help British consumers navigate this seasonal dilemma, we conducted a rigorous blind taste test of leading supermarket mulled wines.
The Ultimate Mulled Wine Taste Test
We put mulled wines from a range of supermarkets through their paces, covering budget options from Lidl and Aldi to premium offerings from Waitrose and Sainsbury's. The testing took place on Friday 14 November 2024, with each bottle gently warmed according to instructions before being assessed blind by our panel. Our experts, including Deputy IndyBest Editor Sabrina Sahota, rated each wine on its taste, aroma, and appearance to ensure a comprehensive verdict.
And The Winner Is...
Emerging as the clear champion was Waitrose's Red Mulled Wine, priced at just £6. Our testers were immediately impressed by its delicious festive aromas and its well-balanced blend of cinnamon and clove. The flavours were noted as subtle yet distinctly Christmassy, with a pleasing sweetness that didn't overpower.
IndyBest writer Lucy Smith declared it "very drinkable, almost too drinkable," while drinks expert Emma Henderson praised its rounded and balanced spices. "I liked that it's very orangey and it's slightly boozier than some of the others too," Henderson noted in her review, highlighting the complexity that set this bottle apart from the competition.
Honourable Mentions and Close Contenders
Not far behind the winner was Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Mulled Red Wine, priced at £6.25. This offering secured a strong second place, with testers praising its full-bodied, complex base wine and its warming blend of orange, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla. For some, it evoked the authentic experience of drinking mulled wine at a traditional Christmas market.
Emma Henderson made an interesting observation about the Sainsbury's entry, noting, "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." This characteristic appealed to those who prefer their mulled wine with a more pronounced wine base beneath the festive spices.
The test also included mulled wines from Aldi, Tesco, Lidl, and M&S, providing a comprehensive overview of what's available to UK shoppers this festive season. Whether you're hosting a party or simply curling up by the fire, our blind taste test confirms that you don't need to spend a fortune to enjoy a quality mulled wine this Christmas.
