Is Mulled Wine Acidic or Alkaline?
Mulled wine (prepared) is alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Mulled wine is heated red wine with sugar and spices. The wine brings the potassium from the grapes, and cinnamon and cloves add a little more, for a result of −1.7 per 100 ml. That's slightly alkaline, but no reason for a second cup. With 96 kcal per 100 ml and the alcohol, other things matter more at a Christmas market than the mineral balance.
In the Drinks category, mulled wine (prepared) ranks #18 of 80, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Grape juice (−1.8), Apple juice (−1.8), Port wine (−1.9). More acid-forming are Rosé wine (−1.7), Red wine (−1.6), Cranberry juice (−1.6).
Acidic or alkaline: PRAL, not pH
On this site, acidic and alkaline refer to the PRAL (potential renal acid load). It estimates what a food leaves behind once it has been digested: a positive value is acid-forming, a negative value is alkalizing. That is different from the pH of the food itself: a lemon tastes sour, yet its PRAL is −4.0, so it is alkalizing. Your diet does not change your blood pH. It does change how much acid your kidneys have to deal with.
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Is mulled wine acidic?
It depends on what you mean by acidic. The pH describes the food itself, for example how sour it tastes. The PRAL describes what it leaves behind after digestion: Mulled wine (prepared) has a PRAL of −1.7 per 100 ml, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much mulled wine do I need for a noticeable effect?
A glass (200 ml) of mulled wine adds −3.4 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of mulled wine roughly offsets one of them.
Why is mulled wine alkaline even though it is not a typical alkaline food?
The PRAL depends on the minerals left over after digestion, not on taste or pH. Mulled wine provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−1.7).
Mulled Wine logged, balance checked.
Basentracker adds up every meal automatically and shows whether your day is in the alkaline range. The same values as on this page, all 977 foods, photo scan, recipes.
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Compare all Drinks: Drinks table. Common questions are answered in Acidic or Alkaline?, and the PRAL calculator adds up a whole meal.
Source: Basentracker food database (PRAL according to Remer & Manz, calculated from protein, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium per 100 g). This information does not replace medical advice.