10 Summer Wine Cocktails

Who says wine has to be all stuffy and conservative? Let’s have some fun with it! Wine cocktails are the best! You can dress up one of your not so favorite wines and turn it into a treat or take one of your favorites and crank it up a notch. The only rules: summer cocktails should be fun, cool and refreshing!

Malvasia Bianca is one of our favorite summer wines. It’s great served chilled on its own while you are relaxing on the patio by the pool. But to have a little fun with it, try these two cocktails.

Adult Strawberry Basil Lemonade

• 6 oz Malvasia Bianca
• 4 Strawberries
• 1 Tsp of Sugar
• 1 Sprig of Basil
• 1oz Fresh Lemon Juice

Blend all ingredients together except wine | Pour over a glass filled with ice | Top with wine |
Stir | Enjoy!

Melon Slushie

Makes a pitcher for sharing

• ¾ Cup Malvasia Bianca
• ¼ Cup Elder Flower cordial
• ½ Honey Dew Melon cut into cubes
• 1 Cup of Ice
• Seltzer or Sparkling water – plain is great, but feel free to be creative with flavors

Combine melon and elderflower in a blender | Blend until smooth | Add Wine and Ice | Blend | Pour in glass and top with seltzer to taste | Garnish with mint and a sugar ring if you wish

If you are a Gewurztraminer fan this drink may just be to your liking. Gewurztraminer is slightly sweet and spicy. It’s another good one for lounging by the pool. This cocktail is much like a grown-up ginger ale.

GG Fizz

• 3 oz. of Gewürztraminer
• 3 oz. of Cava
• ¾ oz. of simple syrup
• ¼ oz. of crushed ginger
• 1 – 2 dashes of sriracha (optional)

Muddle crushed ginger and simple syrup together in the bottom of a glass and mix thoroughly | Pour in Gewürztraminer | Strain the ingredients into a new glass filled with ice | Top with Cava | Add sriracha if desired

If you have some Chardonnay sitting around, throwing together a white sangria is always a great summer option.

Strawberry Peach Sangria

Makes a pitcher for sharing

• 1 bottle of Chardonnay
• 4 oz. of peach schnapps
• 8 oz. of strawberries cut into slices
• 3 peaches cut into slices
• 1 lemon cut into slices

Muddle a little of the peach and strawberry to mix into the wine to really pull the flavors into it| Combine all the ingredients together in one pitcher | Stir | Pour over ice | Feel free to let this sit for a little bit in the fridge to get those flavors blending

Now for a fun summer drink using your favorite pink wine. Grab a White Zinfandel, Rosé or maybe go for the Heart of the Desert signature wine, Pistachio Rosé, which will give it a little bit of a vanilla nut flavor – almost like a cream soda without the fizz.

Rosé Berry Bliss

Makes a pitcher for sharing

• Bottle of still Rosé wine
• 1 Cup fresh Blue Berries
• 1 – 12oz package for frozen pink lemonade
• 1 liter of Lemon-Lime Soda

Combine everything except the soda into a pitcher | Completely mix | Store in refrigerator for at least one hour for ingredients to marry | Pour into champagne flutes | Top with soda

For you red wine drinkers out there, these are your go-to summer wine cocktails. These are a great way to doctor up a bottle that maybe isn’t your favorite or is a little too dry for you.

Cabernet Cobbler Cocktail

• 4 oz Cabernet Sauvignon
• A squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• 2 oz Soda Water
• 1 tablespoon of your preferred sweetener
• Ice

In a large red wine glass, dissolve the sweetener with the lemon juice | Add soda | Add Ice | Top with wine | Stir Gently

Bishop Cocktail

• 3 oz Rum
• 1 oz Red Wine
• 1 tsp Simple Syrup
• Juice of half a Lime

Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice | Shake well | Strain into red wine glass

The next three cocktails are the drinker’s choice of wine. They work with your favorite red, white or rosé wine.

Kir (white wine) or Cardinal (red wine) Royal

If served in a champagne flute, these make a fancy drink for serving as guests arrive.

• 1/4 oz crème de cassis
• 3 oz wine
• Choice of Berries (optional)

In your choice of wine glass, pour the crème de cassis | Top with wine | Float some raspberries or blackberries if you have them

Wine Spritzer

Maybe the most traditional and easy way to spritz up wine. Works great for wine that is too dry for your personal preference.

• ¾ Cup Dry Wine
• ¼ Cup Lemon-Lime Soda
• Ice
• Lime Wheels

Fill your favorite wine glass with ice | Pour in wine | Top with soda | Stir | Garnish with lime wheel

Wine Slushie

These are great for planning ahead and ideal on a hot summer day.

• Wine
• Ice Cube Tray

Take an ice cube tray and fill each cube with wine | Freeze | When it’s time for a slushie, put cubes in blender | Add wine if necessary | Pour in glass | Add straw | Enjoy!

Whatever your wine preference, there is a summer cocktail out there with your name on it. Pick one that sounds good and go for it. Cheers!

Heart of the Desert is a working pistachio ranch and vineyard with four retail establishments in New Mexico. They are best known for their farm fresh pistachios and Award-Winning New Mexico wines. Each store offers wine and pistachio tastings. They offer worldwide shipping and produce attractive gourmet baskets that make great corporate and family gifts. The main store, on the ranch in Alamogordo, offers farm tours that showcases how pistachios are grown and processed as well as a stunning Tuscany themed patio that overlooks the groves and is available for weddings, private parties or enjoying a relaxing glass of wine.