A glass of chilled white wine is something that is made for summer. However sometimes you want a change of drink but not because you want anything stronger, rather because it is nice to drink something different. If you are a wine fan there are lots of things to choose from but why not make this summer extra special and experiment with wine cocktails?

Wine cocktails can be as simple as a Spritzer. Below is a range of cocktails that you can try out on your friends – just remember to make sure you start with a decent bottle of wine. Just because you are mixing it with other things doesn’t mean that you can use cheap nasty wine as a base!

Sparkling Wine

Sparkling wine makes a great base for a cocktail. Mix with orange juice for the classic bucks fizz or take a look at some of these classics

Classic Champagne cocktail

3 oz Champagne

1/3 oz cognac

2 dashes Angostura® bitters

1 tsp sugar

Soak one sugar cube in a champagne flute with angostura bitters. Add champagne and cognac. Squeeze in a twist of lemon and discard. Garnish with half a slice of orange.

Rose Wine

For a bit of a twist on a cocktail, why not use a rose as a base. Slightly sweeter than white wine it makes a yummy cocktail

Purple Plague recipe

1 1/2 oz Chambord® raspberry liqueur

4 oz White wine

3 splashes 7-Up® soda

Mix zinfandel with Chambord and add 7-up. Serve on ice.

Red wine

There is of course the classic mulled wine but as now is summer here is a classic red wine cocktail that will make the summer go by in a nice haze (but only if you overdo it)

Burgundy Bubbler

1 oz Burgundy wine

4 oz ginger ale

Pour both ingredients over ice in a large wine glass. Garnish with slices of lemon, lime and orange, and serve.

White wine

There is of the course the traditional spritzer – or you could be more adventurous and make a fruit cup…. I think that this recipe makes a great cocktail for watching the day go by as you sit in a chair in the garden with very little to do (sounds like a good idea to me!)

Ash blond

3 oz White wine

1 oz Cointreau® orange liqueur

1 splash sweet vermouth

Shake wine and cointreau together with ice. Strain into cocktail glass. Add splash of vermouth for colour.