Tag: Pinot-Grita

Now that it’s unofficially summer, it’s time to think about a few delicious wine cocktails.
While cocktails made with wine are by no means a new creation, they are enjoying a healthy revival as mixologists continue to craft better beverages and experiment with a variety of spirits, including wine as a direct route to making the traditional cocktail more food-friendly.

Amazingly, wine cocktails were at their height in the early 1900s with both table and fortified wines used as the drink base. That is until Prohibition took its toll on cocktails of all varieties. Today, these wine concoctions pair deliciously with food, friends, and festivities of all kinds. Plus, wine cocktails are inherently more relaxed because you can drink them from a straw. Even a bendy straw.

Sparkling wine cocktails tend to be all-time favorites with practically everyone. Typically they are a snap to make, bring festive bubbles to the mix, pair well with a variety of food and are just downright delicious.

There is the traditional Mimosa, a brunch cocktail, made with champagne or sparkling wine and orange juice, or the Bellini. The Bellini is perhaps Italy’s most famous wine cocktail, based on Prosecco and white peach nectar. Peaches and Prosecco, it doesn’t get much easier (or yummier) than this.

For a twist on sparkling cocktails, give this Gewürztraminer Agave Ginger Ale a try. Your mouth will explode with flavor when you use fresh ginger. Perfect wine cocktails balance sweet, spice, sour and savory. For this one we selected wines from Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Valley, Washington. This wine is a beautiful blush sparkling wine, with essences of berries in the nose and on the palate. The initial impression is dry with a soft and fruity aftertaste. The Columbia Valley Gewürztraminer is also n lush wine with expressive fruit and clove spice. It also has a lot of floral character, while maintaining the grape’s natural crisp acidity.

Gewürztraminer Agave Ginger Ale
Ingredients
3 oz. Chateau St. Michelle Gewürztraminer
3 oz. Chateau Ste. Michelle Rosé
1 tsp of muddled ginger
3/4 oz. agave syrup
Optional: 1-2 dashes of tabasco
Preparation
Put sliced ginger and agave in a cocktail glass and muddle with a wooden spoon until ginger pieces are fragrant.
Add 3 oz Gewürztraminer. Stir. Strain into a sugar-rimmed cocktail glass with ice. Top with Ste. Michelle Rosé Brut.

If you are a Margarita lover, a Pinot-Grita is the perfect sip to kick-start the spring into summer season. This unique twist on the traditional margarita adds a kick of bright lime to the Pinot Grigio’s clean citrus flavor. With aromas of nectarine and fresh peach, this Pinot Grigio is crisp and refreshing, creating a light and invigorating cocktail perfect to enjoy with friends and family on a warm and sunny afternoon.

Pinot-Grita
Makes four servings
Ingredients:
3 cups Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Pinot Grigio
¾ cup frozen limeade concentrate
½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
3 cups ice
Lime wedges, to garnish
Salt, to garnish
Preparation:
Combine Pinot Grigio, limeade and orange juice in blender
Slowly add ice until all ingredients are well-combined
Pour into 4 salt-rimmed glasses, and garnish with lime wedge (optional)

For the Ecco Frutta, we used Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio. Ecco Domani translates to “Here’s tomorrow” in Italian, and this IGT Pinot Grigio’s light citrus and delicate floral aromas,tropical fruit flavors and a crisp, refreshing finish are perfect for the Ecco Frutta—a white wine cocktail where mango and kiwi marry  for summer sipping.

Ecco Frutta Wine Cocktail
Ingredients:
1 kiwi
2 tbsp Mango chutney
Ecooc Domani Pinot Grigio
Preparation
Muddle 1 peeled kiwi
Add 2 tablespoons of mango chutney (may substitute with 2 oz. mango juice)
Add 1 tablespoon of sweet basil
Add 2 oz. of Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio
Pour into a shaker and shake vigorously
Pour into a highball glass
Garnish with a kiwi slice

Not into super-sweet? We love this cucumber wine cocktail. It’s both refreshing and savory because the mint and lime add a slightly sour balance the drink. For this drink we used Robert Mondavi ‘s Fume Blanc, a blend of 87% Sauvignon Blanc and 13% Semillon. This wine is very aromatic with lush, floral and tropical notes ntertwined with lime zest, wet stones, fresh herbs and lemon curd. It has an intriguing, textured minerality, with lingering fresh lime and lemon verbena finish making it a perfect wine for this cocktail.

Cucumber Mint Fume Blanc Fizz
Ingredients
3 oz Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc  (or other Sauvignon Blanc)
3 oz Cristalino Brut Cava (or other sparkling wine)
1 oz cucumber water
1/2 oz lime juice
2 teaspoons sugar
pinch coarsely chopped mint
Preparation:
Make cucumber water by grating, blending and straining a cucumber. Add cucumber water, Fume blanc, lime juice, sugar and mint to a cocktail shaker. Shake with ice. Strain into a serving glass and top with 3 ounces sparkling wine.

For the Strawberry lemonade lover, we offer the Strawberry Basil Moscato Lemonade,
Here again, we went with an affordable Moscato because of its aromatic floral scents, and the light, sweet flavors of orange marmalade and marzipan. Normally, Moscato pairs nicely alongside cheeses and lightly sweet desserts, including creamy brie or ripe figs with honey. With the addition of Basil the drink becomes a bit more savory.

Strawberry Basil Moscato Lemonade
Ingredients
6 oz Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Moscato
4 Strawberries
1 teaspoon sugar
1 sprig basil
1 ounce lemon juice
Preparation
Blend all ingredients, except wine, together. Strain into tall glass with ice. Pour over moscato. Add a bendy straw.

Okay beer lovers, If you feel it’s just not a cookout without the beer, don’t fret. Here’ a refreshing summer drink for you: the Ginger Shandy.

Ginger Shandy
Ingredients
Mint springs, for garnish
One 12-ounce bottle chilled ginger beer
1 thinly sliced lemon
Three 11.2 ounce bottles of chilled  beer
In a large pitcher, combine the Hoegaarden with the ginger beer. Stir in most of the lemon slices and mint springs. Fill 6 rocks glasses with ice. Add the remaining lemon slices to the glasses and pour in the shandy. Garnish each drink with a mint sprig and serve.

As you can see, the best summer drinks are full of flavor — they can be subtle, fruity, or just plain refreshing. Enjoy these alcohol-enhanced summer cocktails and drinks during parties, weekend cookouts, or while hanging out with a friend.