Spiced Apple Wine Recipe

Fruit juice from freshly sliced apples is used to infuse dry white wine into a seasonal, warming Fall cocktail beverage. Sometimes referred to as “Apfelwein” this classic recipe is updated with cinnamon spices and natural sweetener. Make yourself a carafe of this spiced apple wine recipe and sit back, sip and relax…

The Fall season is full of Apple Beverages: Apple Cider, Mulled Cider, Sparkling Cider…the list of all things apple is really endless! And that’s no surprise apple season runs typically from late September to late October in the Hudson Valley, NY. This means a bushel of freshly picked orchard apples. And while I enjoy all of the fall libation classics, sometimes it’s nice to switch it up and try something new! Enter this Spiced Apple Wine Recipe.

The instructions for this apple infused wine are simple and you probably have all of the ingredients stashed away in your pantry, all that’s needed is a bottle of dry white wine!

Which White Wine to use for this Recipe?

Choose a bottle of dry white wine to infuse with fruit juices. I tested this recipe (boy! I enjoyed testing and tasting this recipe!) The best results were with a dry Riesling and Pinot Grigio, so either will work well for this fruit juice infusion. (Stay away from chardonnay for this one, the oaky notes are overpowering and will dull the crisp taste of the apple).

Some Like it Hot, Some Like it Cold….and this Spiced Apple Wine Recipe can be drank either way!

This wine recipe can be served hot or cold! Looking for crisp refreshment? Serve this chilled straight from the fridge. Craving a hot today? Heat the apple wine on your stove top and settle into this cozy drink.

Apple Infused Spiced White Wine Tips + Tricks:

• Make sure to give the bottle a swirl every couple of hours, this helps move the apple juices evenly into the wine.
• Strain the wine before serving. Inevitably small pieces of the apples flash will end up in your infusion, and if you don’t want that, make sure to pass through a fine sieve before serving.
• If heating the wine, keep low and slowly bring up to a warm temperature. Never Boil wine, it will diminish the alcohol content of your beverage.
• Likewise if serving cold, keep carafe in the refrigerator or in an ice bucket. Putting water directly in the glass with the wine will water it down and lessen all of those apple cinnamon notes you spent the last several hours infusing into your wine cocktail! (notice how there is no ice in any of my photos? That’s on purpose!)

A Quick Note on Sweetness:

This white wine recipe is made with mostly fresh fruits (crisp apples lean on the tart side without a lot of added sugar) and spices. The sweetener I used; maple syrup, I used sparingly. So this recipe is not sugary. It’s actually very crisp and allows the flavor of fresh apples to fully shine.

If you would like to add more maple syrup and create a sweeter Spiced Apple Wine Recipe, feel free to adjust the amount I have listed in the recipe below.

The Wine is Infused with Apples and Warming Spices, it’s Time to Enjoy Your Apple Wine, just don’t Forget the Garnish!

Garnish Ideas: Add a slice of apple chip to the lip of your glass or float in the center. Or use some of the apple slices and whole cinnamon stick to pretty up your cup!