One of the things that I enjoyed the most while I was living in Bordeaux was the French concept of an apéro (or apéritif).
An apéro is much more than just cocktail hour at someone’s home. It’s a way to unwind and spend time with friends or family before dinner. In addition to cocktails or wine, there are often snacks – think cheese, charcuterie, olives, tapenade, almonds, etc.
It is usually a-before-dinner-event, but I will say that I love when we end up snacking and sipping while chatting with friends all night long.

It is fun to make a signature wine cocktail for these apéros. It’s a different way to drink wine, and it’s usually pretty refreshing on a warm summer evening. Classics include: kirs, kir royales, or a Hugo spritz. A typical kir is white wine and crème de cassis, but in a bistro, they may offer you a choice: peach, cassis, raspberry, etc. I often make this when I have a bottle of Chardonnay open in the fridge for longer than I care to admit. Pro tip: freeze chardonnay in ice cube trays so that the kir isn’t diluted with regular ice cubes; yes, it really does work!
Over Summer, I’ve been testing out some new wine cocktails. Spritzes are quite popular these days, with the classics: Aperol, Campari, Hugo, and Limoncello. I also love a spritz with Italicus, which is an Italian bergamot apéritif. Here’s an easy roadmap to making the spritz of your dreams. You’ll need a base – think Hafner Blanc de Blancs, prosecco, or rosé. Then you choose your flavor component – Aperol, elderflower liqueur, limoncello, Italicus, fruit purée, or fruit juice. You can add sparkling water to stretch your cocktail a little. I always like to add a garnish (citrus slice or peel, mint, rosemary, cucumber, etc.) to dress it up.

In addition to spritzes, there are a number of wine-based cocktails out there – think sangria, French 75, mimosa, mulled wine, etc. I have some new recipes that I’ve tested this summer to share with you. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

Hafner 82

Ingredients:

• 3 parts Blanc de Blancs
• 1 part gin
• Muddled mint
• A splash of blood orange soda
• Citrus peel

Mix the gin, mint, and blood orange soda. Top with blanc de blancs and add a citrus peel for garnish.

Rosé Lemonade

Ingredients:

• 4 parts rosé
• Rosé ice cubes (pro tip!)
• 2 parts sparkling lemonade
• 1 part gin or vodka (optional)
• Fresh basil blossoms

Mix over ice and garnish with basil blossoms.

Aperol Rosé Spritz

Ingredients:

• 3 parts rosé
• 2 parts Aperol
• 2 parts sparkling water
• Orange slice
• Rosé ice cubes (pro tip!)

Mix rosé and Aperol in a wine glass over ice and stir gently. Top with sparkling water and orange slice.

Kalimotxo

Ingredients:

• Equal parts red wine and cola
• Ice
• Lemon wedge

Pour over ice and stir gently. Garnish with lemon.

Classic Tinto de Verano

Ingredients

• Equal parts red wine and lemon soda
• Ice
• Lemon wheel for garnish

Pour over ice and stir gently. Garnish with lemon wheel.

Have some other wine cocktail recipes to share? Send them my way!