The Swedes have mulled wine, which has been produced since 1895. But few seem to think about where mulled wine is made.
The mulled wine season starts when the weather cools down. Adobe Stock / AOP
The largest mulled wine factory in the Nordic countries is located in Finland on Rajamäki in Nurmijärvi.
It is still something that can be talked about in Sweden, but one detail is gladly left unmentioned. It is related to the country’s most purchased mulled wine.
Blossa has been drunk in Sweden since 1895. But nowadays, Blossa is manufactured in Finland.
Even though the talk about the secret of Blossa’s country of manufacture is humor, not such a small joke that there isn’t another side to the truth. The Swedes consider this mulled wine completely their own, right down to the production.
The production and bottling of this year’s mulled wine is already starting to be done. Eeva Paljakka
Anora’s product development manager Laura Koivisto says that in Finland the spices of the drink are extracted, all the ingredients are blended and finally the mulled wine is bottled.
Blossa launched vintage glöggs in 2003. The Swedish chief blender is responsible for the blending of vintage glöggs Åsa Orsvärn. But Finnish Koivisto is also responsible for his actions.
– This is always cooperation. Together we taste different versions and think about which is the most balanced, Koivisto reminds.
He says that the mulled wine made in Rajamäki always has a wine base, even though Finland is traditionally the country of juice-based mulled wine. The wine used in non-alcoholic mulled wine is dealcoholized, i.e. the alcohol is removed from the wine.
The number of different mulled wines has increased in recent years. Along with non-alcoholic or alcoholic white and red glögs, there have been, for example, sparkling wine-like glögs, sugar-free glögs or vintage glögs.
Koivisto states that there is so much choice in food cup and Alko that drinking glög has become fragmented.
In the past, mulled wine was always drunk warm. Now the trend is going in the direction of drinking mulled wine cold. You can even put ice in it or make a cocktail or mocktail out of mulled wine.
Dozens of different mulled wines are bottled at the Rajamäki factory. Eeva Paljakka
Orsvärn states on Blossa’s website that mulled wine can be enjoyed warm or cold. He himself drinks all the way up to the first Sunday of Advent, especially vintage glögg, preferably from a glass cold with ice. Later, he recommends enjoying it warm from a mug.
There are many instructions on the Internet for making mulled drink or syrup.
– Drinking mulled wine has not decreased, it has just changed, summarizes Koivisto.