While I’m not normally a big fan of wines, I was excited to learn Marks & Spencer has unveiled a new rosé mulled wine for its 2025 Christmas food release, and I couldn’t wait to try it
I love Christmas, and everything that comes with it. I love spending time with the people I love, exchanging gifts, and trying all the new festive food bits take over the supermarkets. And not to mention, I love getting myself a mulled wine or cider at a Christmas market.
Mulled wine originated in Ancient Rome, where it was spiced and heated to preserve wine during winter. Its history evolved through the Middle Ages in Europe, where it was also valued for its perceived health benefits, and it gained a strong association with Christmas during the Victorian era, including in the UK. Today, you can often find several stands of people selling it in any Christmas market you attend.
While it’s normally made with red wine, it has recently become more popular to make it with different types of wine – including my favourite, rosé.
So when I spotted a £6 bottle of rosé mulled wine being sold in M&S, I quickly jumped in my car to drive 20 minutes to my nearest M&S food hall to pick it up.
The bottle reads that it’s ‘expertly blended’ with notes of orange, vanilla, and mulled spice flavour, which sounds right up my street. M&S also wrote on its website the product is a ‘high street first’, as most mulled wines on offer in most supermarkets will be made from a traditional red wine. But it also made me wonder if it was a first for a reason…
Later that evening, curiosity got the better of me, so my boyfriend and I decided to heat some up and try the festive drink. However, as I took my first sip, it wasn’t anything like I had expected to to be.
I was immediately hit with the strong alcoholic kick, as I felt the heat running down my throat, which is not something you normally expect to be that strong when drinking wine – no matter if it’s served hot or cold.
Even though the bottle says it has an APV of 11%, it still felt as if I was drinking something stronger. Maybe we just didn’t heat it for long enough to evaporate the alcohol, however, I don’t think this should be needed.
While it’s, of course, to be expected to taste some alcohol when drinking mulled wine, this was borderline too much as it distracted from the other flavours within the mulled wine.
However, as I slowly tried to ignore that initial flavour shock, it became just as delicious as I had imagined it to be.
The vanilla flavour pair perfectly with the fruity notes of the rosé, while the orange and mulled spice flavours transforms it from a summery wine to a cosy, festive drink that I would be happy to purchase again for future Christmases – or maybe even try to replicate at home.
But I do still think that nothing will beat the traditional mulled wine made from red wine – especially if you take the time to make it yourself at home.
