Wine cocktails make a light and refreshing summertime drink.  Whether you have a bottle of red, white, or sparkling wine on hand, you can use it to mix up some great wine cocktails. From fruity sangrias to imaginative cocktails, these drink recipes are cool and refreshing for summer.

Simple Syrup

Several of these recipes contain simple syrup.  Simple syrup is made by combining equal parts of sugar and water, which is stirred over low heat (or microwave) until the sugar is dissolved.  It is then cooled to room temperature before using.

Fragole on Ice

Ingredients

• 1 strawberry
• 1½ oz. vodka
• ½ oz. fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz. basil simple syrup
• Ice
• Rosé
• Fresh strawberry slice.

Steps to Make It

• Muddle a strawberry in a shaker
• Combine vodka, fresh lemon juice, basil simple syrup and ice in a shaker
• Shake well
• Pour into a cocktail glass with ice
• Top with chilled Rosé
• Garnish with a fresh strawberry slice

Grapefruit Spritz

Ingredients

• 1 ½  oz. grapefruit juice
• ½ oz. sweet vermouth
• ½ tbsp. simple syrup
• 4 to 5 oz. Prosecco

Steps to Make It

• Add grapefruit juice, sweet vermouth and simple syrup to cocktail shaker
• Fill cocktail shaker with ice
• Shake until chilled
• Strain the liquid into an iced glass
• Top with Prosecco
• Garnish with a slice of grapefruit

Ice-y Martini

Ingredients

• 1 oz. Cabernet Franc ice wine
• 2 oz. vodka

Steps to Make It

• Combine ingredients in a glass and stir

Pinot Noir-tini

Ingredients

• 1 ½  oz. Pinot Noir
• 1 oz. vodka
• ½ oz. dry vermouth
• Ice
• Amarena cherries

Steps to Make It

• Pour Pinot Noir, vodka and dry vermouth in a mixing glass
• Add ice
• Stir until the glass is chilled
• Strain into a martini glass
• Garnish with a couple of Amerena cherries

Sangria

Peach Sangria

What is different about this one is that it uses fruit liqueurs instead of fresh fruit so there’s no need to make it the day before. The recipe yields about 8 1/2 cups or about 16 four-ounce servings. Since the liquors and juices are all poured equally, it’s easy to increase or decrease as needed.

Ingredients

• 1 (750 mL) bottle dry white wine (Pinot Grigio)
• 1 1/4 cups mango rum
• 1 1/4 cups peach schnapps
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 1/2 cups lemon-lime soda
• Fresh peach slices
• Fresh mango slices

Steps to Make It

• In a punch bowl or large pitcher, pour the wine, mango rum, peach schnapps, citrus juices, and lemon-lime soda. Stir well
• Fill with large pieces of ice
• Serve in glasses
• Garnish with peach and mango slices

Pineapple Sangria

Ingredients

• 1 750 ml bottle of Moscato
• 1 cup coconut rum
• ¼ cup Triple Sec
• Splash pineapple juice
• Splash orange juice
• Sliced strawberries
• Sliced orange
• Sliced lemon

Steps to Make It

• Mix the bottle of Moscato, coconut rum and triple sec together
• Add pineapple juice and orange juice
• Stir in strawberries
• Garnish with  orange and lemon slices

Raspberry Lemonade Moscato Sangria

Ingredients

• 1 (750 ml) bottle white wine
• 12 ounces/1 1/2 cups lemon-lime soda
• 12 ounces lemonade
• 2 lemons (sliced)
• 2 cups fresh raspberries (frozen can be used)
• 1/3 cup sugar

Steps to Make It

• Mix the wine, berries, lemons, lemonade and sugar in a pitcher
• Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight
• Add the lemon-lime soda just prior to serving
• Add ice in either the pitcher or individual glasses
• Garnish with lemon slices

Sauvignon Blanc Summer Sangria

Ingredients

• 1 750 ml bottle of Sauvignon Blanc
• ¾ cup of vodka
• ½ cup tropical fruit juice
• 6 tbs. thawed frozen lemonade concentrate
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 package fresh raspberries
• 1 package fresh blueberries
• 2 cups club soda

Steps to Make It

• Mix the Sauvignon Blanc, vodka, tropical fruit juice, lemonade concentrate, sugar, raspberries, blueberries and club sod

Spicy Summer

Ingredients

• 1 ½ oz. tequila
• 1 ½ oz. lime juice
• 1 oz. simple syrup
• 2 1-inch cubes of watermelon
• 1 slice of jalapeño pepper
• Sparkling Rosé wine

Steps to Make It

• Combine tequila, lime juice and simple syrup in a shaker
• Add cubes of watermelon and circular slices of jalapeño pepper to the shaker
• If you want it less spicy, omit the pepper seeds
• Muddle until thoroughly blended
• Add ice and shake for at least 30 seconds
• Double strain into a wine glass over a large ice cube
• Fill a glass to the top with Sparkling Rosé
• Garnish with mint, rose, and jalapeño

Strawberry Rhubarb Sangria

Ingredients

Rhubarb Syrup:

• 2 cups rhubarb (diced or roughly chopped)
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar

Sangria:

• 1 bottle Pinot Grigio
• 1/2 cup vodka
• 1/4 cup St. Germaine Liquor
• 1 cup strawberries (sliced)
• 1 lime (sliced)

Steps to Make It

• Begin by preparing the rhubarb syrup. Heat the water, sugar, and rhubarb in a small saucepan  Cook for about 5 minutes on medium low heat, until the mixture has thickened and turned a light pink
• Strain the rhubarb out of the liquid.; place the strained liquid in the refrigerator to cool
• Combine the bottle of wine, vodka, St. Germaine liquor, strawberries and limes in a large pitcher. Once the rhubarb syrup has cooled, add it to the wine mixture. Let the sangria sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days. 
• Garnish with sliced strawberries and limes

Tequila Sangria

Ingredients

Hibiscus Syrup:

• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar (white granulated)
• 1 tea bag hibiscus tea

Sangria:

• 1 1/2 cups tequila
• 1 1/2 cups white wine
• 3/4 cup hibiscus syrup
• 1 ounce orange juice
• 2 ounces cranberry juice
• 1/2 liter club soda

Steps to Make It

Make the Hibiscus Syrup

• In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the sugar and stir until it’s completely dissolved
• Remove from the heat, add the tea bag, and steep for 10 minutes
• Discard the tea bag and let the syrup continue to cool. Bottle and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks

Make the Tequila Sangria

• In a pitcher or punchbowl, combine the tequila, wine, hibiscus syrup, and orange and cranberry juices
• Stir well
• Add ice and fill with club soda
• Garnish with orange, lemon and lime slices

Source the Raleigh

Ingredients

• 1 oz. Sauvignon Blanc
• 1 oz. vodka
• 1 oz. watermelon juice
• 1 oz. simple syrup
• ½ oz. lemon juice
• Soda water

Steps to Make It

• Fill cocktail shaker with ice
• Add Sauvignon Blanc, vodka, watermelon juice, simple syrup, and lemon juice to the shaker
• Shake and strain into a glass filled with ice
• Top with soda water

Strawberry and Rosemary Rosé Cocktail

Ingredients

• 1 bottle of Brut Rosé Champagne or Sparkling Wine
• 1 cup strawberry-flavored vodka
• 2 cups lemon-lime soda
• Strawberries for garnish
• Rosemary for garnish

Steps to Make It

• Pour Brut Rosé Champagne or dry Rosé Sparkling Wine over ice
•  Add strawberry-flavored vodka and lemon-lime soda
• Garnish with strawberries and rosemary

Tropical Twist

Ingredients

• ½ oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
• ½ oz. honey syrup
• ½ oz. rum
• 2 oz. Prosecco

Steps to Make It

• Combine lime juice, honey syrup and rum in a cocktail shaker
• Add ice and shake
• Add Prosecco
• Strain into Champagne flute
• Garnish with lime peel

Watermelon Wine Cooler

Ingredients

• 1 oz. Sauvignon Blanc
• 1 oz. vodka
• 1 oz. watermelon juice
• 1 oz. simple syrup
• ½ oz. lemon
• 1½ oz. soda water

Steps to Make It

• Combine ingredients except soda water in a cocktail shaker filled with ice
• Shake and strain into a glass filled with ice
• Top with soda water

White Wine Spritzer

Ingredients

• 3 ounces chilled white wine (Riesling, Pinot Grigio, or Sauvignon Blanc are used most often)
• 1​ ounce ​cold club soda (or mineral water)

Steps to Make It

• Fill a white wine glass or highball glass with ice
• Pour in the wine
• Top with club soda or mineral water
• Garnish with lime wedge or orange peel

Enjoy your summer while sipping one of these cool refreshing wine beverages!

Sláinte mhaith