Spiced Wine (Czech Svařák)

In Czech culture, it's a cherished tradition to sip spiced wine while browsing the stalls at annual Christmas markets. A cup of hot wine warms your chilly hands and fills the air with holiday aroma. Let's make authentic spiced wine using a Czech recipe!

➜ What is spiced wine?

Czech mulled wine is a hot alcoholic beverage made from red wine and spices. A sugary infusion of cinnamon, cloves, and star anise forms the base. The infusion is doused with wine, and everything is brought to a boil but not boiled.

I recommend straining the finished wine to separate the spices. Serve hot, with slices of citrus fruit for a nice presentation.

Spiced wine is perfect for the holidays or just a chilly night in, so whip up a batch and enjoy!

TIP: In many other parts of Europe, spiced wine is a must-have at Christmas markets. This holiday drink is called "Glühwein" in German, while the rest of Europe usually calls it "mulled wine."

In the Czech language, spiced wine is called "svařené víno" or, shortly, "svařák."

➜ Ingredients

To make homemade spiced wine, you will need:

• Red wine; the best wine for making a spiced wine is any semi-dry quality wine. I don't recommend cheap table wine, nor do I suggest expensive wines that are a waste of money for this recipe.
• Granulated sugar; to sweeten the wine. The amount of sugar is a matter of individual preference and wine variety. To improve the taste of your spiced wine, try using brown sugar instead of white sugar.

Wine spices:

• Anise star, cloves, cinnamon stick, allspice, dried lemon zest

This is my tried-and-true combination, but feel free to play with other spice flavors as well. When you're comfortable making mulled wine, experiment to see which spices you like most.

For the final garnish, prepare lemon or orange slices. Ideally, organic, or scrub the citrus fruit thoroughly under warm running water before slicing.

✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.

➜ How to make Czech spiced wine

In this recipe, I describe the preparation of spiced wine on the stovetop.

STEP 1: Prepare a sweet and spicy infusion: pour less than 1 inch of water into a saucepan (I used my heavy-bottomed Dutch oven), add the sugar, and stir. Add the spices. Place the pot on the stove over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook for about 10 minutes until the liquid has almost evaporated. Be sure to stir.

TIP: Make sure that all the water does not disappear. If necessary, add a tablespoon or two of water to the saucepan. In the end, you should be left with a low-water syrup that is starting to caramelize.

STEP 2: Add the wine to the saucepan and stir. Return the pot to the stove and bring it to a boil, but just before the boiling point, when a light foam begins to form on the surface, remove the pot from the heat source. Let it stand for another ten minutes or so to allow the flavors of the spices and the wine to blend nicely.

STEP 3: Strain the spiced wine. Pour it through a sieve from one pot into another. Discard any leftover spices. If the brew starts to cool after straining, simply place it on the stove and reheat.

➜ Serving

Serve hot in your favorite heatproof glass or porcelain mug. If you like, garnish with a few citrus slices for a nice display.

If you prefer your brew sweeter, add a sugar bowl to the table. Everyone will be able to sweeten their warm drink to taste.

➜ Storage

The best spiced wine is, of course, fresh and made in just the right amount. However, if you have any leftover, let it cool completely and store it in the fridge, where it will keep for 4-5 days. Always reheat before serving.

➜ Useful tips

• Spiced wine cannot be cooked during preparation. If you boil the wine or heat it for longer, the alcohol will start evaporating, and the brew will lose its strength.
• Some people don't strain spiced wine because it looks spectacular when served with spices, especially in a glass teacup. But trust me, spitting out the spices would ruin the enjoyment completely.
• Traditional Czech spiced wine is made from red wine. White wine can also be used, but the resulting drink will lack the same intensity of flavor and aroma.

More flavorful recipes:

• Perníčky Czech gingerbread cookies
• Vanocka Christmas bread
• Zucchini spice cake