White wines can be used for refreshing summer drinks.
The peach Bellini and red or white sangria are among the most popular summer wine cocktails, but if you are looking for near instant gratification on a hot summer's day, few drinks can compare with a simple wine spritzer. One advantage to cold wine drinks is that affordable jug wines are often preferable as mixers to more expensive alternatives. The drink ideas below come from Spain and Venice and are as old as long summers.
Bellinis
The Peach Bellini was created in Venice.
A peach Bellini has two ingredients: peach nectar and Prosecco, which is a dry Italian sparkling wine. Champagne can also be substituted for Prosecco. In a champagne flute (preferably chilled) pour 1 oz. of peach nectar and top with 4 oz. of the sparkling wine.
Alternatively, fresh peaches pureed in a blender or food processor can be substituted for peach nectar. The classic Bellini, as it originated in Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy, called for pureed peaches, a dash of lemon juice, cold champagne and an optional addition of maraschino liqueur.
The "Bombay Bellini" substitutes mango juice or mango puree for peaches and is topped with mango slices, while the "Holiday Bellini" uses apricot nectar in place of peach juice.
A drop of raspberry or cherry juice is often added to the Bellini for color.
Sangria
The culinary philosophy behind sangria is the combination of fruit, wine and brandy, though under that umbrella all manner of experimentation has been undertaken.
All that is needed for a classic Spanish red sangria is a sliced orange (rind left on), 1/4 cup of brandy, and 1 bottle of Rioja wine. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, refrigerate overnight, and serve over ice the next day with a ladle. Fresh fruit makes a great garnish. This recipe makes about eight servings.
The classic white sangria recipe is a bit more complicated. Heat 4 to 8 cinnamon sticks in 1 cup of water with 1/2 cup of sugar until it simmers for 5 minutes; let the mixture return to room temperature. Remove the cinnamon sticks and add:
1 bottle of dry white wine
1 cup sparkling water
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup orange juice
2 oranges, wedged
2 apples, wedged
10 cherries
Mix this all together and refrigerate overnight, then serve over ice. Makes about eight servings.
Wine Spritzers
Few wine drinks are easier to make or more instantly gratifying than spritzers, and contrary to popular belief, a wine spritzer needn't only be for white wine. A light red like a zinfandel or Chianti mixed in equal parts with sparkling water and served over ice makes for an excellent afternoon refresher.
For white wine spritzers, use a 1.5 liter bottle of chilled Pinot Grigio, Riesling (very sweet) or sauvignon blanc along with a cold 1 liter bottle of sparkling water. Pour each glass nearly half-full with the wine before topping off with sparkling water and a slice of lemon. This recipe makes eight servings.
Tags: sparkling water, eight servings, peach nectar, white wine, with sparkling, about eight