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The Wine Spritzer. It's been around before your grandma and even before your grandma's grandma. We're here to tell you that contrary to popular belief, spritzers are fun, light, and easy to tailor to your taste preference and, therefore, are here to stay. With tons of recipes with delicious ingredients, spritzers are an easy beverage you can make ahead in large batches while adding a fun and exciting bubble to your drink.
Truthfully, spritzers are some of the most refreshing drinks out there and are the ideal drink for summer. You can milk a wine spritzer for hours on end and still be able to function completely. Now that the sun is shining and we're trading in our turtlenecks for tank tops let's talk about this iconic drink in detail. Grab your wine glass and let's talk wine spritzers—your soon-to-be-favorite summer drink!
What Is a Wine Spritzer Made Of?
Let's start with the very best part: it's refreshingly basic and easy to make. Honestly, that one cousin you're worried about could make it. The simplest of a recipe, the wine spritzer, calls for club soda, ice cubes, and wine, of course. And because the bones of the formula are ridiculously simple, the possibilities are endless. Whatever you have in your refrigerator, within reason, can be added to your spritzer for a fun, festive bubbly drink.
When making a wine spritzer, there are a few things to keep in mind. For starters, pick a wine that already tastes good. Bad wine is a bad idea because the truth is, a little La Croix and ice won't make something that tastes terrible taste any better. And while we're on the topic, we're not huge fans of pre-made spritzers as well. In general, pre-made spritzers are incredibly artificial and don't make for the best refreshing cocktails. For large batches, try using magnums or boxed wine!
As you make more and more spritzers (we're assuming we convince you with this blog), you'll begin creating your very own recipe that satisfies your cravings perfectly. The only essential thing in a spritzer is ensuring you make a balance between the wine, bubbles, and any other ingredients you throw in. Don't let those other non-alcoholic ingredients steal the wine's show.
What Wines Are Best for Spritzers?
Typically, the best wine varieties for a spritzer are packed with fruity flavors, mild on tannins, and filled with potent and delightful aromatic qualities. The top wines that come to mind are Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Noir, and Moscato. But really, any white wine will do. If you are looking for a dry spritzer, grab a Sauvignon Blanc, or one with more body, grab an oaky Chardonnay or sweet Moscato. Here are a few descriptions of the best wines to use in spritzers so you can make an educated decision.
Sauvignon Blanc
The primary fruit flavors are lime, green apple, passion fruit, and white peach. Depending on how ripe the grapes are when the wine is made, the flavor will range from zesty lime to flowery peach.
Riesling
Aromas and flavors include green apple, peach, and lime. Riesling is normally delicate and incredibly mineral.
Pinot Noir
Dry, light-to-medium bodied, with silky tannins and bright acidity, Pinot Noir is known for its complex flavors, including cherry, raspberry, mushroom, and forest floor, plus vanilla and baking spice when aged in French oak.
Grenache
Medium-bodied, Grenache often has subtle flavors and aromas of orange and grapefruit.
What Can I Mix with White Wine?
Well, essentially anything can be mixed with white wine. However, it doesn't mean it'll taste good. Because you asked, here are a few mixes we like.
Sprite
Club soda, seltzer, or lemon-lime soda, like Sprite, are great selections for making a white wine spritzer.
Blood Orange Soda
A blood orange spritzer makes a festive and delicious holiday drink. Like all spritzers, they are quick, easy, and light!
Cucumber and Mint
Make it a sangria! A Cucumber Mint mixed drink is a refreshing, light drink to savor in the summer.
What Can I Mix with Red Wine?
As a mixer, red wine spritzer are usually in punches and drinks similar to punches. Having a red wine at your bar is always a good idea, but make sure you don't let it sit too long; nobody likes the taste of vinegar straight!
Coca-Cola
Remember when Sonja Morgan (Real Housewives of New York, if you're wondering) mixed wine and coke, and everyone gave her a hard time? Uhh. Well, she was actually on to something. So much so, the 'sloppy' drink she concocted is known as a kalimotxo, and in the 1970s, it was THE drink of Spain.
Clove and Citrus
Got mulling spices on hand? Make a mulled wine using clove and citrus! A fragrant and festive drink made for the wintertime, Mulled wine is created by combining mulled spices with wine. While red wine is more common in mulled wine, recipes call for red, white, or rose wines!
Hot Chocolate
Wine spiked hot chocolate is delicious and if you don't want to take our word for it, take Martha Stewart's! Nobody can argue with Martha Stewart! On her Facebook page, she called it 'spectacular.' To make a wine-spiked hot chocolate, the key is, to begin with, a fantastic hot chocolate recipe. The best spiked hot chocolate is created with real chocolate and milk instead of cocoa powder and hot water.
Can I Make a Spritzer with Rosé?
Duh, who's stopping you? Spritzers are delightful when made with rose!
What Are the Easiest Spritzer Recipes?
While we think spritzers only use a bottle of wine, soda and garnishes are delightful, you can always take your spritzer up a notch if you're feeling adventurous. The truth is, the most iconic and well-loved spritzers seldomly use club soda and instead use a combination of liqueurs with sparkling wines for a complex wine cocktail recipe that tastes incredible. Bitters, liqueurs, and citrus fruit add aromatic characteristics, which are astonishingly refreshing with mild wines like Grüner Veltliner. For instance, an Aperol Spritz and French 75 are examples that blend sparkling wine with aromatic but slightly bitter liqueur with a hint of acid for an incredibly refreshing beverage.
Aperol Spritz
An Aperol Spritz is a trendy drink that comes from Italy. To make this refreshment, you combine prosecco, Aperol, and soda water or sparkling water. Aperol is created from gentian, rhubarb, and cinchona, as well as other ingredients, and has a bright orange hue, which is why it's typically enjoyed during the summer months.
When it comes to creating an Aperol Spritz, there are no hard and fast rules. Many prepare the drink differently, opting for other ingredients to make it their own. This, therefore, can cause the alcohol content to differ. The only fundamental, steadfast rule in building the drink is preserving the red or orange color of the cocktail.
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