🍷 Mulled wine and fortified wines

Fortified wines and mulled wines sit on the border between wine and spirits. Liqueur wine, or fortified wine, is 15–22% ABV and contains added alcohol of wine origin; Glühwein is a wine-based aromatised drink of at least 7%; väkevä glögi is already a spirit drink, EU category 42.

Fortified wine is made by adding neutral alcohol of wine origin (at least 96% ABV) or a wine distillate (52–86% ABV) to wine or must: this is how port, sherry and madeira are made. Väkevä glögi, or spritglögg, is wine or wine products with spirit and the aroma of clove or cinnamon; it contains no more than 50% wine.

Under EU rules Glühwein is made exclusively from red or white wine, flavoured mainly with cinnamon and cloves, at least 7% ABV; adding water is prohibited. The names Viiniglögi, Vinglögg and Karštas vynas are described similarly. Vermouth is an aromatised wine of 14.5–22%, not a spirit drink.

Port (the Douro valley), sherry (Andalusia) and madeira (Madeira) are fortified wines with their own pages; Svensk Punsch is a Swedish protected name in the category of other drinks. Mulled wine is a northern European winter tradition: Glühwein, glögi, glögg.

Why it matters to you. Fortified wine is not among the EU spirit categories but has 15–22% ABV. The word Glühwein has legal meaning: wine, cinnamon, cloves, no water. Check the strength in % ABV on the label. WHO: no safe level of alcohol exists.

Other sections of this topic: Grape brandies; Liqueurs; Honey spirit drinks; Bitters and bitter spirits; Egg and cream liqueurs; Fruit brandies; Anise spirits; How spirits are made. All sections are gathered on the “Spirits” page.