Combine Wine & Spirits With 14 Sophisticated Wine Cocktails

When you don't want to decide between wine or a cocktail, choose both in one glass. Clever you!

Published March 16, 2023
tinto de verano cocktails

So you're eyeing that bottle of wine, but you're also stealing glances of your cocktail shaker. Do you want a glass of wine or do you want a cocktail as you cook or unwind? Good news, today is the day that you don't have to choose. You can have your wine and drink a cocktail, too. The solution? Wine cocktails.

Rosé Spritzer

rose wine spritzer

This is a wine cocktail that'll make you want to rosé all day. Take a picture and tag the appropriate friends that you expect to join you. #roséallday

Ingredients

  • 3 ounces rosé
  • ½ ounce elderflower liqueur
  • Ice
  • 3 ounces lemon club soda to top off
  • Lemon wedge and mint sprig for garnish

Instructions

  1. In a wine glass, add ice, rosé, and elderflower liqueur.
  2. Top off with lemon club soda.
  3. Stir briefly to mix.
  4. Garnish with a lemon wedge and mint sprig.

Wine Slushies

wine slushies

Surprise your friends with a frozen treat or treat yourself. Go red, white, and rosé with our easy wine slushies.

Champagne Cocktail

Champagne cocktail

Prosecco is wine. And there's plenty of ways to make up a sparkling wine cocktail, but this might be the best. And easiest. Who says it can't be both?

Ingredients

  • 1 sugar cube, brown or white
  • 2-3 dashes peach bitters
  • Prosecco to top off
  • Lemon ribbon for garnish

Instructions

  1. Chill a Champagne flute.
  2. In the chilled glass, add sugar cube then bitters.
  3. Top off with prosecco.
  4. Garnish with a lemon ribbon.

White Sangria

white sangria

What's more classic than a white sangria? No, seriously. Try out any of these recipes and see if you can figure it out.

New York Sour

NY sour

Okay, so technically, this is more of a whiskey drink than a wine drink, but the red wine float makes the cocktail.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces whiskey
  • 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ¾ ounce simple syrup
  • 1 egg white
  • Ice
  • 1½ ounces cabernet sauvignon or malbec
  • Lemon peel and cocktail cherry for garnish

Instructions

  1. In a cocktail shaker, add whiskey, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white.
  2. Dry shake (without ice) for approximately 45 seconds to mix ingredients and create a froth.
  3. Add ice to the shaker.
  4. Shake to chill.
  5. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
  6. Slowly add the red wine, pouring down the back of a bar spoon, to float on top. Do not stir.
  7. Garnish with a lemon peel and cocktail cherry.

Red Sangria

red wine sangria

Perhaps you want to get cozy with a bit of red sangria. It is, after all, the OG wine cocktail.

White Wine Mojito

mojito

If you find yourself wondering why you're without rum, but you definitely want a mojito, all you need to do is uncork a bottle of white wine.

Ingredients

  • 4-6 fresh mint leaves
  • 6 ounces sauvignon blanc
  • 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
  • ½ ounce simple syrup
  • Ice
  • Club soda to top off
  • Mint sprig and lime slice for garnish

Instructions

  1. In a highball or collins glass, muddle mint with simple syrup.
  2. Add ice, sauvignon blanc, and lime juice.
  3. Stir briefly to mix.
  4. Top off with club soda.
  5. Garnish with a mint sprig and lime slice.

Red Wine Spritzer

two red wine spritzers

If you're interested in some red wine in the afternoon, with brunch, or even just a light night cap, the red wine spritzer answers the call and won't send you to voicemail.

Lambrusco Negroni

lambrusco negroni

You know and love the familiar equal-parts negroni recipe. But today, you're going to say "see ya tomorrow" to your gin and instead add some lambrusco.

Ingredients

  • 1½ ounces lambrusco
  • 1½ ounces Campari
  • 1½ ounces sweet vermouth
  • Ice
  • Orange peel for garnish

Instructions

  1. In a mixing glass, add ice, lambrusco, Campari, and sweet vermouth.
  2. Stir rapidly to chill.
  3. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
  4. Garnish with an orange peel.

French 75

French 75 cocktail

Pack a punch with bubbles in the classic and boozy French 75. This might just be your new Wednesday night wine cocktail.

Kalimotxo

kalimoxto cocktails

Also known under the alias calimocho, this popular Spanish wine beverage might make you raise your eyebrows, but you'll be singing its praises real quick.

Ingredients

  • 3 ounces Rioja or other dry red wine
  • 3 ounces cola
  • ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Ice
  • Lemon slice for garnish

Instructions

  1. In a rocks glass, add ice, Rioja, cola, and lemon juice.
  2. Stir twice to mix.
  3. Garnish with a lemon slice.

Prosecco Cocktails

2 glasses of prosecco

Fizzy, bubbly cocktails are irresistible. You can't fight it. So pop some bottles and indulge in several different prosecco cocktails. Not all at once, though.

Wine Margarita

wine margaritas

Tequila takes on a supporting role, and red wine becomes the star on taco Tuesday with a ruby red margarita.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces red wine
  • ¾ ounce silver tequila
  • ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
  • ¾ ounce orange liqueur
  • ½ ounce agave syrup
  • Ice
  • Orange slice for garnish

Instructions

  1. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, red wine, tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, and agave syrup.
  2. Shake to chill.
  3. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
  4. Garnish with an orange slice.

Wine Coolers

wine coolers

Hop a time machine back to the 1980s and early 90s to see just what the fuss is all about with wine coolers. Spoiler alert: you owe your parents an apology for judging how much they loved their wine coolers.

Red, White, and Delicious Wine Cocktails

Grab that bottle of white wine, definitely that bottle of rosé, and, what the heck, grab that bottle of red, too. Who knows what you'll be in the mood for. Shake 'em, stir 'em, or spritz your wine to create wine cocktails that'll put the 'W' in winning the cocktail game.

Combine Wine & Spirits With 14 Sophisticated Wine Cocktails