There are days when opening a bottle of wine and pouring it into a glass is exactly what you want. And then there are days when you want to do something a little different with it and that is where wine cocktails come in.
You don't need a proper home bar or a cupboard full of fancy liqueurs to make one. A bottle of wine, some fresh fruit, soda, juice and maybe one spirit is enough to put together a pretty decent drink. Some are sweet, some are fizzy, some are properly refreshing and a few can actually sneak up on you.
So, if there is a bottle sitting in the fridge and you feel like experimenting, here are five easy wine cocktails to try at home.
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Let's start with the easiest one because honestly, this barely counts as a recipe. A white wine spritzer is basically chilled white wine topped with sparkling water or soda. It makes the wine lighter, colder and much more refreshing, especially on a hot afternoon.
What you need:
How to make it:
Fill a large wine glass with ice. Pour in the white wine and slowly add the sparkling water. Give it one gentle stir and squeeze in a little lemon or lime.
A crisp Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio works really well here. There is no reason to use an expensive bottle because the soda and citrus are going to change the drink anyway.
Sangria is probably the wine cocktail most people think of first, and for good reason. It is fruity, chilled and perfect when there are a few people around.
The nice thing about Sangria is that there isn't one strict recipe you have to follow. You can change the fruit depending on what you have at home.
What you need:
How to make it:
Put the chopped apple and orange slices into a large jug. Add the red wine, orange juice and orange liqueur. If you like your drinks slightly sweeter, add some sugar and stir until it dissolves.
Keep the jug in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Add ice and soda just before serving. For the wine, go for something fruity rather than a very heavy, tannic red. A young Merlot or a fruity Tempranillo can work nicely.
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Rosé and berries are a pretty safe combination. This one looks good in a glass too, which is always a bonus when friends are coming over.
What you need:
How to make it:
Add the berries and syrup to a wine glass. Pour in the rosé and add a few ice cubes. Top with soda water and give everything a gentle stir.
You don't want to drown the rosé in syrup. The idea is to keep the wine noticeable while giving it a little extra fruitiness.
If strawberries aren't available, pomegranate seeds are an easy swap. A similar berry-based rosé spritzer has also been used in Indian cocktail recipes.
Now this one might sound slightly strange if you've never tried it.
But red wine and cola, known as Kalimotxo, is incredibly simple. It is also one of those drinks where you don't really need to overthink things.
What you need:
How to make it:
Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour in the red wine and then add the cola. Stir gently and squeeze in a lemon wedge.
Use a reasonably fruity, inexpensive red wine. This isn't the cocktail where you bring out your expensive Cabernet and hope everyone appreciates it.
The cola adds sweetness and fizz, while the red wine gives the drink its fruity and slightly dry character.
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If the first four recipes were easy, this one feels a little more like an actual cocktail.
The French 75 combines gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup and sparkling wine. It is bright, citrusy and bubbly, and you don't need an expensive Champagne to make one at home. A dry Cava or another good-quality sparkling wine can work too.
What you need:
How to make it:
Add the gin, lemon juice and simple syrup to a shaker with ice. Shake for a few seconds and strain into a chilled flute or coupe.
Top slowly with sparkling wine and give it a very gentle stir. Finish with a lemon twist.
Fresh lemon juice makes a noticeable difference here, so don't really replace it with bottled lemon juice if you can avoid it.
Also Read: Sparkling Wine Vs Champagne: What's The Difference?
The biggest mistake with wine cocktails is adding too much of everything. If there is too much syrup, the drink becomes sugary. Too much soda and the wine disappears. Too much spirit and suddenly the cocktail isn't nearly as light as it looked when you started making it.
For most recipes, a dry, reasonably priced wine is perfectly fine. Crisp whites are great with citrus and soda, fruity reds work nicely with Sangria and cola, while rosé is an easy match for berries and lighter fruit flavours.
And one more thing: don't feel like you have to finish an entire bottle just because you opened it for a cocktail. Keep leftover wine properly chilled and use it again within a reasonable time.
I actually like wine cocktails for the simple reason that they don't take themselves too seriously. You can make one when you're having friends over, while cooking dinner, or just when you don't want the same old glass of wine again.
My personal pick would probably be the white wine spritzer on a hot day and Sangria when there are more people around. The French 75 is the one I'd save for when I want something that feels a little more special.
The best part is that none of these need a professional bartender standing behind the kitchen counter. A decent bottle, some ice and a little experimenting can get you surprisingly far.
