SIP INTO SUMMER - COCKTAILS FOR WINE DRINKERS

Wine-based cocktails are basically what happens when wine decides to chill out and stop being so fancy all the time. Instead of all the swirling, sniffing, and looking for “hints of oak,” you just mix it with other stuff and enjoy it. Way less pressure, way more fun.

Why People Love Wine Cocktails

First off, they’re easy, if you can pour wine into a glass and add a few extras, you’re good to go. They’re also lighter than most cocktails, so you can sip on them without feeling woozy after a couple of drinks.

Here are 4 of my favourite refreshing summer cocktails.

Frosé (Frozen Rosé)

Rosé is one of the go-to summer wines, the only thing that could make it better on a hot summer’s day. Some extra chill! 

Choose one bottle of full-flavored, full-bodied, dark-coloured Rosé, Haut Maurin Bordeaux Rose. Pop in it in your ice cube tray or a baking tray and freeze for 5 hours. Drop one punnet of strawberries (250g) in a blender, add the frozen rose and juice from 1 lime. Blend until smooth, gradually adding 2 -3 tablespoons of brown sugar. Serve in a Martini or wine glass and garnish with fresh mint and a wedge of lime.

Sangria Blanca (White Sangria)

Fresher than the classic red version, I would suggest using a dry-style wine such as crisp French Sauvignon Blanc, unoaked Chardonnay or Baccichetto Pinot Grigio.

Toss 1/3 of a cup of caster sugar,1/4 cup of brandy and the bottle of white wine into a large glass jug. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add 1 unpeeled orange cut into thin wedges, 1 pink lady apple, thinly sliced and halved plus 250g seedless red grapes halved. Cover and pop in the fridge overnight. Add soda water and ice just before serving.

I’m on vacation in Portugal Cocktail

A few years back one of our customers recommended this to me instead of a G&T, he said at the time “you can drink twice as much due to the lower alcohol content”.

The "Porto Tonico" is a classic, super-easy white port cocktail. Fill a tall glass with ice mix 50ml of Van Zeller white port and 150 ml of good tonic water, give it a stir and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and a slice of lemon or orange. Sit back and sip, while pretending you are on a café terrace in Lisbon.

Hugo Spritz

Refreshing floral and herbal.

Gently crunch the mint leaves in your hand, add to the glass and add a dash of St Germain elder-flower liqueur if you don’t have any substitute with gin and elder-flower cordial, let it infuse for a few minutes. Fill the glass with crushed ice then pour over the soda water and San Giuseppe prosecco, stir gently. Garnish with a lime wedge and sprig of mint.

Rule of thumb

Use good enough wines, if you won’t drink it on its own, don’t mix it.

Always serve cold, use plenty of ice, tepid cocktails taste flat and over alcoholic

Use fresh fruit instead of juice as they give a cleaner flavour

Let Sangria style drinks rest this allows wine and fruits to fully blend.

Balance sweetness carefully, when adding sugar taste before adding more, if too sweet add lemon juice to fix.