Summer Wine Beverages

I had the strangest experience recently. I was with some
friends and we opened a bottle of champagne. One of the men
immediately ordered a lemon-lime soda and poured it into his
half-filled glass of champagne and did the same thing with his
wife's glass. Intrigued I tried a little and found that the
doctored champagne was not my thing. However, it made me start
to think about ways to turn wine into very different drinks.

The goal may be to make certain wines more palatable for those
in your circle of friends and family who are not quite wine
drinkers yet. Yet for many people, wine based beverages are just
one more way to enjoy their favorite drink, especially in the
hot summer months.

A great, reliable way to liven up any type of wine, but
especially red wines is to turn them into sangria. This
delicious Spanish drink is a fun way to enjoy a light and
pleasant wine-based beverage, sure to cool you down in the hot
weather. Cut-up fruit, sugar, brandy and soda, the essential
ingredients in sangria, can make just about anything taste
better. It is the perfect way to treat a bottle of wine that
you're not crazy about. It's also a great way to make a bottle
go much further. People will surely come back for more.

Another popular way to dress up a glass of wine is by adding
club soda to a half-filled glass and serving it with a cherry. A
wine spritzer, as this drink is called, is very popular. It
makes a lighter drink than wine alone and it evokes feelings of
summer. The thing to be careful for is that wine spritzers
sometimes go to your head more quickly because of the
carbonation.

Wine punches are fantastic for a party. They make a light fun
drink for showers and outdoor events. There are so many
combinations for creating a great wine punch. They can even be a
centerpiece with their pretty colors and attractive garnishes.
You can add fruit juices, club soda, ginger ale and other types
of alcohol like brandy or liqueurs. Try combining two different
wines in your punch like a dry white wine and a sherry.
A wonderful touch is to add frozen fruit like citrus slices,
berries, peaches or even a frozen ring of fruit in soda. It
helps keep the wine punch cold as well as looking appetizing.

Mimosas, or a mixture of champagne and orange juice, are
wonderful if you having friends in for brunch or are serving
breakfast to houseguests. It makes a great addition to a light
lunch or for just hanging around the pool. Nothing says elegance
like a mimosa.

Summer time is also a great time to try some of the light
fruity wines that are available. Many Rieslings make the perfect
light summer drink. There are also many fruit infused wines like
blackberry Merlot, which are fun flavorful wines to enjoy on a
hot summer day. No matter how you serve your favorite wine, it
makes summer more fun.


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