It’s time to ditch the spiced ciders and the mulled wines. Warmer weather and later sunsets mean it's time for iced white wines, fruity cocktails, and best of all, a combination of the two: wine cocktails.
Here are the three wine cocktails you need to try this springtime.
Aperol Spritz
If you can’t spend your spring relaxing along the stunning coastlines of Amalfi, why not bring a taste of Italy right to your glass? Bubbly and citrusy, with a firm backbone of bitter herbs, the Aperol Spritz combines two Italian classics to form the perfect warm-weather cocktail.
First, there’s the titular Aperol. Flavors of orange, wood, and herbs make this aperitif the most delicious kind of medicine. Then, you take Prosecco: dry, bubbly, affordable, and timeless. Bring these two Italian classics together and you’re left with an international favorite.
Easy to make and even easier to sip, the Aperol Spritz is the perfect bitter-sweet counterpart to a cloudless spring afternoon.
Ingredients:
Makes 1 serving
- 2 oz. Aperol
- 3 oz. Prosecco (or Champagne)
- 2 oz. soda water
- Orange slice
Prep:
- Add crushed ice to wine glass
- Add Aperol, Prosecco, and soda water to glass. Stir.
- Garnish with an orange slice
- Serve!
Sangria
Some might say that Sangria is best enjoyed outside at a cafe or tapas bar, somewhere along the gray-brown, brick-lined streets of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter. That’s all good and fine, but in our humble opinion, Sangria is best enjoyed anywhere, wherever it is you happen to be.
Sweet, fruity, and as bold as red wine can be, Sangria has a tasting note for just about anyone. Sugar fanatics can add a little extra brown sugar to their glass, maybe pile on some fresh fruit. Dryer folks can go heavy on the Grenache (a Spanish red) and light on the brandy. Anyway you take it, this traditional Sangria recipe will make you the life of the brunch, beach, or backyard when you bring a pitcher.
If you can cut up an apple and open a bottle, you can make a delicious Sangria:
Ingredients:
Makes ~16 servings
- 2 bottles Grenache (dry)
- 1 bottle rosé (dry)
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 ounce Triple Sec
- 2 ounces brandy (sweet)
- 1–2 tablespoons brown sugar (to taste)
- 2 apples, sliced into cubes
- 2 oranges, sliced into half slices (keep peels)
Prep:
- Mix every liquid ingredient into a large pitcher, except orange juice. Stir.
- Add orange juice and brown sugar to taste.
- Add fruit, if serving immediately. If serving later, add fruit before serving.
- Chill pitcher.
- Fill wine glasses halfway with chopped fruit and ice. Add Sangria. Enjoy!
Frosé
Rosé—the fruity, pink-colored red wine variant you’ll see all over warm-weather Instagram posts—has been the Queen of springtime wines for over a decade. Although the Queen might never be dethroned, her frozen cocktail variant known as “Frosé” might give her a run for her money.
Frosé is really easy to make and even easier to serve. All you need is sugar, a bottle of heavy-bodied rosé wine, and a blender. Thanks to the high yield and low cost of the ingredients, it’s the perfect cocktail to serve at a spring cookout or boozy brunch.
Open that freezer and get cracking on the most delicious frozen cocktail since the invention of the Piña Colada.
Ingredients:
Makes ~6 servings
- Bottle of heavy-bodied rosé
- ½ cup sugar
- 4 ounces of ice
- 8 ounces of strawberries (stem removed)
- 2 ½ ounces of lemon juice
Prep:
- Pour rosé into a clean, shallow baking pan. Freeze for about 6 hours. (Note: The rose won’t completely freeze because of the alcohol. That’s okay!)
- Add all ingredients to a blender and blend mixture until smooth.
- Freeze pitcher for about 30 minutes until the mixture has a consistency similar to a milkshake.
- Chill pitcher.
- Serve in a margarita glass with a lime wedge.
Save Yourself a Trip to the Wine Cellar
Wine shopping isn’t easy. Even if you’re lucky enough to live near a liquor store, the rows upon rows of wine shelves can be intimidating to wade through. How can you walk out of a wine cellar feeling satisfied when there are over 100 varieties of the same wine?
With help from an online wine club, finding your new favorite wine is effortless. Wine clubs send their customers hand-selected, premier wines, many of which are tailored to your specific tastes. Oh, and did we mention that they deliver right to your door?
Find the perfect wine for your new favorite wine cocktail, today:
