WE all want to save money this Christmas without giving up our traditional treats.
I’ve tasted pre-made mulled wines to find out if it’s possible to get all the warming festive flavours at a bargain price from supermarket own-brands.
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For each one, I have given a score out of ten for taste and a score out of ten for value, based on the price per 100ml.
This score also took into account the alcohol content (ABV percentage).
Here’s how the warming classic scored out of 20 overall:
Tesco Vineyards Mulled Wine
- £3 for 75cl
- 40p per 100ml
- 5% ABV,
Read more taste tests
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Tesco’s festive drink tasted more like spiced grape juice or Vimto than wine.
It seemed thin, sweet and the spice flavours were very synthetic.
It had a low alcohol content of 5% ABV, but was one of the cheaper wines we tested, at 40p per 100ml.
- Taste: 6/10
- Value: 6/10
- Total: 12/20
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Asda Mulled Wine
- £3 for 75cl
- 40p per 100ml
- 5.5% ABV
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The mulled wine from Asda has a festive spiced flavour and tasted authentically of red wine.
Although it was the same price as Tesco’s, at 40p per 100ml, it contained slightly more alcohol, at 5.5% ABV.
This suggests it may be made with more wine.
- Taste: 7/10
- Value: 7/10
- Total: 14/20
Morrisons Winter Warmer Mulled Wine
- £3 for 75cl
- 40p per 100ml
- ABV of 5%,
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The Morrisons mulled wine was really Christmassy, with warming flavours of fruit and cloves.
Although it was the same cost as the Tesco and Asda versions – at 40p per 100ml – and only had an ABV of 5%, it felt like a higher quality product.
I’d be happy drinking this mulled wine throughout the festive season.
- Taste: 8/10
- Value: 7/10
- Total: 15/20
Sainsbury’s Mull It Over Mulled Wine
- £3.25 for 75cl
- 47p per 100ml
- 5% ABV
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The Sainsbury’s mulled wine tasted very thin.
I felt it was a bit like blackcurrant squash with added Christmas spices.
At 5% ABV, it was disappointing that this was one of the most expensive wines tried, at 47p per 100ml.
- Taste: 5/10
- Value: 6/10
- Total: 11/20
Aldi Gluhwein
- £5.99 for 1litre
- 60p per 100ml
- ABV of 8%
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This tasted overwhelmingly of very cheap wine and was disappointingly tasteless, with no obvious spice flavour.
It felt thin yet it had an ABV of 8%, making it one of the strongest wines we tried.
I didn’t feel the high price tag of 60p per 100ml was justified.
- Taste: 4/10
- Value: 4/10
- Total: 8/20
Lidl Christkindl Gluhwein
- £5.99 for 1litre
- 60p per 100ml
- ABV of 8.7%
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Lidl’s Gluhwein had a Christmas spice flavour but this seemed very artificial.
In fact, it had quite an antiseptic taste – similar to cough medicine.
It smelled strongly of alcohol, which is not surprising considering it was the strongest mulled wine we tested, with an ABV of 8.7%.
The decorative bottle would like nice on your Christmas lunch table but I didn’t think it was worth buying for 60p per 100ml.
- Taste: 5/10
- Value: 5/10
- Total: 10/20
We have also tasted supermarket camemberts, and Christmas sandwiches.
