Why Drink Wine Cocktails
Wine cocktails are always a good idea. They're light, refreshing, and are the perfect drink for whatever size of party you're having. Spritzes, sangrias, and punches can be made in batches, making it an easy way to add a festivity to a family dinner or brunch without much work.
As a wine company, we are obviously biased regarding what kinds of cocktails are the best. Our first choice will always be wine. But, wine actually makes an excellent ingredient in alcoholic beverages for numerous reasons.
Wine's diverse flavor profiles make it a versatile cocktail ingredient. From dry and fruity to bright and savory, there are a plethora of different flavor profiles. White wine with high acidity is excellent in alcoholic drinks because it allows you to mimic certain citrus flavors without using any citrus. With its complex and many different tasting notes, rose is also another good ingredient. Red wine is even a great base because its tannins add a lot of texture.
The art of making a delicious wine mixed drink is finding a balance. You want to enjoy the flavor of wine without overpowering it with a spirit or liqueur. A general rule of thumb is to keep in mind your likes and dislikes and stay away from mixing a drink with types of alcohol that you wouldn't drink on their own.
Now let's talk about making vodka mixed drinks. When it comes to vodka, there's really nothing you can't do. Well, we mean that lightly and only in the world of mixed drinks. Vodka is an excellent hard liquor base for cocktails due to its mild flavor and smooth finish.
Together, wine and vodka are two ingredients that combine well and can be mixed to create the perfect wine and vodka drinks. Specifically, wine and vodka are two ingredients that are common in punches and drinks that you can make ahead of time in large batches—allowing you to make ahead and spend the night enjoying yourself instead of playing bartender!
For us, the best part of wine and vodka cocktails is there are so many wine cocktails to choose from! So, here's the list of our favorite drink recipes for wine cocktails that will make all of your guests ask for the recipe.
White Wine Punch
You should immediately add punch to your go-to holiday drinks. Why? Because not only are they delicious, but they are relatively cheap to make. They can turn a not so high-end bottle of wine into a delicious cocktail.
Plus, from Cranberry White Wine Punch to English Christmas Punch, there are so many different types of punches to choose from. Most of them are as beautiful as they are delicious!
Give this delightful Christmas drink a try by making Simply Delicious Christmas Cranberry Sangria a try! With all the lovely cranberry flavor and a taste of Prosecco, this is a cocktail you're going to want to have as many times as possible this holiday season, whether you're having a night out or a night in!
Vodka Sangria
No holiday is complete without sangria. Or, at least, that's how we like to live our lives. Although you probably think of sangria as a summer drink, it actually makes for a great winter cocktail. Here's why: sangria is incredibly versatile, and essentially, it's just wine soaked in fruits. It is a cocktail that begs for you to have your creative touch because of its loose definition.
Sangria is an easy drink to make ahead and serve in a punchbowl to allow guests to help themselves. The best part about sangria is the longer you let it sit, the more delicious it will taste! After a day or two in the refrigerator, the flavors in your fruit and wine will fully mingle and come together for an incredible, delicious drink. In the summer, mix your wine with fresh strawberries and a splash of grapefruit juice for a light a fruity drink.
In traditional sangrias, many people add an additional liquor to their punches to either improve the taste or add a larger amount of alcohol.
But don't take our word for it. Give Happy Food, Happy Life's Christmas Sangria a try! Made with Riesling, vodka, oranges, pomegranate, and sparkling wine, this cocktail might be the highlight of your holiday season.
Wine Spritzer with a Twist
A white wine spritzer is more than just a summer drink. It also happens to be light and sparkly and, therefore, perfect for fall and winter! Plus, it is one of the easiest cocktails you'll ever make! It is just a mixture of wine and soda water. More specifically, it is three parts wine, one part sparkling water, and then garnished with some sort of citrus peel.
Spritzers are great because they can be made highly personalized. You can make it the way you like to satisfy your cravings without worrying about overdoing it. Merely adjusting the soda or drink you're mixing your wine with can make a huge difference. We also love them because they're incredibly light. Not only does it feature a lower alcohol content, but you're also cutting down your alcohol consumption.
And sometimes, you just need a spritzer with a twist! Due to its versatility, a spritzer is super easy to make with a little more fun. You can easily mix up a festive no-fuss version of this cocktail in literally no time at all. By adding a fruity, festive touch to your cocktails, like frozen cranberries or a star made out of orange skin, you can take your spritzer to a joyful level. Speaking of garnishes, you can also add some seasonal spirit into your drink by freezing pomegranate seeds, cranberries, or other complementary fruits into your ice cubes for a splash of fun, color, and flavor!
There are a few things to keep in mind when making a wine spritzer. The first is selecting a wine that you enjoy. Bad wines should never be used because let's be honest, it won't get better with a splash of club soda. The best varieties for spritzers are wines filled with fruity flavors, mild on tannins, and filled with potent aromatic qualities. We suggest wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Noir, and Grenache. A personal suggestion from us is to stay clear of premixed spritzers. Usually, these have an artificial taste and don't make for delicious cocktail sipping!
Intrigued about how delicious a holiday wine vodka spritzer can be? Try Tidy Mom's Rudolph's Tipsy Spritzer. It has the perfect balance of flavors that goes above and beyond a simple mix of vodka and cranberry and can easily be made into a punch for parties!
Red Wine Punch
There's a reason punch is always a drink served at large events! It's easy to make, serves a lot of people, and most of the time, it is a delicious drink! In many ways, wine punch is essentially the same thing as sangria.
In case you don't speak Sanskrit, punch translates to 'five' because it refers to the five ingredients punch was initially made with. These are alcohol, sugar, lemon, water, and tea or spices. Early English sailors created punch because they could obtain the ingredients they needed from their overseas adventures. Upon returning to England, punch's popularity increased, and today, it is a drink that can be made from virtually anything!
Even as a wine company that currently only makes white wines, we admit there is something about red wine that screams the holiday spirit. Although white wines have the sparkly component that is often associated with the holidays, red wine is heavier due to its tannins that create its characteristic bitter flavor and, therefore, feels ready for the holiday season as a darker drink.
With red wine, cran-apple and orange juice, ginger beer, and vanilla extract, this Holiday Red Wine punch is perky and filled with deep holiday undertones. Check out the recipe from A Spicy Perspective here.
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