Last year's mulled wine - still drinkable?

[Aquiver]

Hiya,

In compiling my Christmas shopping/prep lists, I realised that I already had 3 bottles of mulled wine left over from 2014

They are all Sainsburys TTD brand, with screw top lids and have been kept out of sunlight/heat/cold etc.

Do you think they will still be drinkable, or is it worth restocking? I'm loathe to pour it all away if it is all potentially fine!

Thanks

I bet it would be fine!
You can test a bottle closer to the time, though. Maybe one evening whilst writing Christmas cards..? If it tastes horrid, you know to put some more on your list!

I'd be amazed if it had gone off. I second the trial run "just in case"

Great - I'll not rush to replace these bottles then (not until a thorough taste test has been performed). Thanks!

I hope not as I have a couple of bottles left over from last year too (god knows how?) I had just assumed they would be ok - unless there is any obvious rust or mold I wouldn't expect any air has got in

Aquiver surely you need to perform an extensive taste test of old vs new vs homemade?

I've had various bottles of gluwein for years in some cases, as long as not been opened before being left, they've all been fine hic!

Well we deliberately buy bottles reduced to stupid prices in March for this exact reason....

It will be fine. I bought 12 bottles of the stuff when they had 25% off one autumn only to find out I was pregnant (unplanned) the following day

I drank them all a year later!

Oh fantastic - I'm becoming more and more hopeful now that we can just crack open last year's bottles with no problems :)

Chocolateteabag, snausages et al - I have scheduled a cautious pre-Christmas testing of one bottle for early Nov (while I sort out Christmas cards and some initial gift wrapping for things to be sent to rellies overseas).

I'm in awe of home-made mulled wine makers! Maybe I will hunt down a recipe if the Sainsbos bottle contents taste a bit 'off'

If they do taste a bit funny you could use them for cooking red cabbage in-a chef friend once told me that off wine is ok for cooking because the cooking process breaks down the tannins (I think!) that make it taste bad. Red cabbage cooked in mulled wine is one of my favourite winter dishes.

On what date is it acceptable to start drinking mulled wine?

PurpleDaisies - red cabbage cooked in mulled wine sounds delicious!

We're off to my PIL for Christmas, but we are planning to have another 'festive' meal between 27 Dec and New Year, so that could well be a great accompaniment to try out - thanks for the tip!

I tried it one year when I'd forgotten to buy red wine and had a random bottle of mulled wine hanging around. It really was good!

Aquiver there are loads of recipes online which are easy to alter if you do/don't like particular spices. Alternatively, you can get some wee pre-made spice packages (Schwartz do a good one) so you just add the sugar and red wine and brandy. Every good mulled wine recipe has a total of brandy. Or whisky. Or Cointreau. Etc.

You can test it with some cider in November

The family opened a bottle of mulled wine at Christmas. I still half left in the bottle. Will I still be able to use it?