25 Best Wine Cocktails

Dress Up Your Wine With a Simple Drink Recipe

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 01/7/22
White Wine Spritzer

The Spruce Eats / Abbey Littlejohn

Wine is far too interesting and diverse to be relegated to drinking on its own. Whether you have a bottle of red, white, rosé, or sparkling wine on hand, use it to mix up fascinating wine cocktails. From classic drinks and imaginative cocktail recipes with new flavor pairings to fruity sangrias for a party, these drink recipes offer an exciting taste of wine's potential, no matter the season or occasion.

  • 01 of 25

    Kir

    Kir and Kir Royale

    The Spruce Eats / Ana Maria Stanciu

    Crème de cassis is any wine's best friend. With this sweet black currant-flavored liqueur, you can mix up an easy wine cocktail in three different ways. The dark fruit flavor pairs perfectly with a dry white wine in the Kir cocktail or Champagne for a Kir Royale. Equally delightful in its simplicity, switching to red wine makes a cardinal cocktail.

  • 02 of 25

    New York Sour

    New York Sour Cocktail

    The Spruce Eats / S&C Design Studios

    Easy to make, a float of dry red wine makes the New York sour a show-stopping cocktail. The base is either rye or bourbon whiskey shaken with fresh lemon juice and syrup. Add an egg white if you like to give this classic whiskey cocktail a frothy crown.

  • 03 of 25

    Wine Spritzer

    White Wine Spritzer

    The Spruce Eats / Abbey Littlejohn

    The wine spritzer is the easiest way to dress up a still wine. The recipe simply requires soda or mineral water to create a sparkling wine that suits your taste. It works with white, red, or rosé wines, and freezing fruits or herbs in ice adds flavor as you drink.

  • 04 of 25

    Bishop Cocktail

    The Bishop Cocktail

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

    There's no need to waste a bottle of red wine that doesn't quite live up to your expectations. Instead, mix up a bishop cocktail. This 1930s recipe adds rum, simple syrup, and lime juice to red wine, and it works as a single drink or a simplified sangria punch.

    The 8 Best Red Wines to Drink in 2022
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  • 05 of 25

    Berry Wine Slushies

    Fruity Berry Wine Slushies

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    Beautiful things happen when you blend wine with fruit, and it's fun to mix and match ingredients in berry wine slushies. Play with various combinations of blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and different styles of wine to create your ideal frozen cocktail for hot summer days.

  • 06 of 25

    Pomegranate Grapefruit Frosé

    Van Gogh Vodka's Pomegranate Grapefruit Frosé - Blended Rose Wine Cocktail
    Van Gogh Vodka

    The pink wine slushy, known as a frosé, offers infinite flavor possibilities. In the pomegranate grapefruit frosé, you'll enjoy the sweet taste of pomegranate vodka against the tart flavor of grapefruit juice. It's a fabulous use for those last few ounces of rosé wine left in the bottle.

  • 07 of 25

    Brazilian Sangria

    Brazilian Sangria

    Thomas Barwick/DigitalVision/Getty Images

    The Brazilian sangria is a recipe made for one, and the taste is an experience unlike any other. Choose any seasonal fruits you like to muddle with the spirit-filled base of cachaça, Spanish brandy, and—to make it really interesting—absinthe. Once that's complete, finish your cocktail with a red wine float, sit back and enjoy your creation.

  • 08 of 25

    French Pear Martini

    French Pear Martini

    The Spruce Eats / S&C Design Studios

    Champagne is the wine of choice in the French pear martini. Its soft floral and fruit flavors make a wonderful dinner or brunch drink, especially when served alongside light fare. You'll also appreciate the ease of mixing up this three-ingredient cocktail and find the combination of elderflower and pear fascinating.

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  • 09 of 25

    Pornstar Martini

    Pornstar Martini Cocktail With Passion Fruit and Champagne Shot

    The Spruce Eats / S&C Design Studios

    Sure to impress anyone, sparkling wine is served on the side of the pornstar martini. The actual cocktail is made of vanilla vodka, two passion fruit ingredients, and vanilla sugar, while half a passion fruit floats on top as a garnish. After the first taste, you'll realize why this modern cocktail is such a hit.

  • 10 of 25

    Aperol Spritz

    Aperol Spritz Cocktail Recipe

     The Spruce Eats

    The Aperol spritz is the best-known cocktail to feature the Italian bitter with a bright orange flavor. Topped with chilled prosecco and club soda, it's a refreshing dinner drink.

  • 11 of 25

    Plumdog Millionaire

    Plumdog Millionaire Cocktail with Bulldog Gin

    Bulldog Gin

    When you want to treat yourself to a truly unique cocktail, pick up a bottle of Japanese plum wine. It's the key ingredient to the plumdog millionaire cocktail. Known as umeshu in Japan, in this recipe, the wine's sweet taste is paired with an equally charming gin, and the two flavors are married with lavender soda.

  • 12 of 25

    Sherry Cobbler

    Sherry Cobbler
    MaximFesenko / iStock / Getty Images Plus

    Sherry is a fortified wine that's great on its own but also a viable cocktail ingredient. The sherry cobbler is a late 19th-century recipe that enhances it with fresh fruit and a touch of syrup to create a simple but satisfying drink.

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  • 13 of 25

    Frisco 49

    Frisco 49 Cocktail
    Rita Maas / The Image Bank / Getty Images

    Styled after the classic French 75 cocktail, this recipe is a wonder. Filled with homemade ingredients, pear-infused gin and a roasted honey peach syrup transform that favorite sparkling cocktail into the delightful Frisco 49.

  • 14 of 25

    Figgy Sparkler

    Figgy Sparkler

    The Spruce Eats / S&C Design Studios 

    Add a little bubbly to your holiday celebrations with the figgy sparkler. The seasonal recipe muddles fig, orange, and cranberry and tops it off with vodka and prosecco. Use fresh or dried figs, and, if you have a week to spare, make fig-infused vodka.

    The 15 Best Sparkling Wines to Drink in 2022
  • 15 of 25

    White Wine Mojito

    White Wine Mojito

    Lumina Images / Blend Images / Getty Images

    Inspired by the famous rum cocktail, this white wine mojito is a low-proof pitcher drink designed to quench thirsts at a small gathering. Made with sparkling lemonade, it takes minutes to prepare, and no one will be able to resist that refreshing combo of mint and lime on a warm day.

  • 16 of 25

    Mango Passion

    Mango Passion Cocktail

    The Spruce Eats / Karen Hibbard

    Fresh mangoes are the star of this big-batch cocktail inspired by the beaches of Thailand. Vodka and sparkling white wine give the mango passion a mesmerizing base, and you'll love how the tropical fruit plays off the richness of maple syrup.

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  • 17 of 25

    Rosé Berry Bliss

    Rose Berry Bliss Cocktail Champagne Recipe

    Alan Richardson / Getty Images

    Perfect for any affair—from fancy to casual—the rosé berry bliss is particularly fitting for intimate spring and summer parties. It's made by the pitcher and pairs the blush pink wine with blueberries and frozen pink lemonade. The flavor is terrific, and no one will guess how little effort you put into it.

  • 18 of 25

    White Peach and Mango Sangria

    White Wine Peach and Mango Sangria

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    You can't go wrong with sangria when you're seeking out a wine-based punch. The array of possible flavors ensures there's a sangria for any occasion. For summer parties, combine white wine, mango rum, peach schnapps, and a trio of citrus fruits and serve guests the brightly flavored white peach and mango sangria

  • 19 of 25

    Raspberry Lemonade Sangria

    Raspberry Lemonade Sangria

    Besjunior / Getty Images

    Refreshing, fruity, and a fabulous party drink for summer, it's hard to beat this raspberry lemonade sangria. It requires just six ingredients, including moscato and fresh raspberries, and mixes up in minutes. To make it a little bit better, be sure to use fresh-squeezed lemonade.

  • 20 of 25

    Tequila Sangria

    Tequila Sangria Wine Punch

    Mizina / iStock / Getty Images Plus

    A soft and gentle punch, the tequila sangria recipe has an exquisite flavor. You'll start by making hibiscus syrup using the floral tea, then mix that with tequila, white wine, and cranberry and orange juices. Give it some sparkle with club soda, garnish it with fresh citrus fruits, and your spring party punch is ready.

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  • 21 of 25

    Fall Sangria

    White Wine Fall Sangria With Pomegranate and Green Tea

    The Spruce Eats / S&C Design Studios

    Filled with complex layers of flavor, including green tea, pomegranate juice, brandy, and gin against a dry white wine base, the fall sangria holds nothing back. Adding fresh apple, pear, and orange, along with a hint of sweet cinnamon, finishes off the seasonal taste wonderfully.

  • 22 of 25

    Mulled Pomegranate Warmer

    Mulled Pomegranate Warmer

    Joy Skipper / Getty Images

    Few drinks are as comforting as mulled wine when the cold winds begin to blow. It's a classic addition to winter parties, and—just like sangria—there are many ways to build off its flavorful foundation. The mulled pomegranate warmer pairs two bottles of red wine with pomegranate liqueur. The flavors meld when heated, and the citrus-spice aroma is just as inviting as the drink itself.

  • 23 of 25

    Candy Corn Cocktail

    Candy corn cocktail recipe

    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

    Wine isn't off the table for Halloween parties. You'll need to pick up a sweet moscato for this candy corn cocktail, though its most exciting ingredient is kettle corn-infused gin. Once that's ready, all you need to do is mix it with the wine and a sweet citrus grenadine, then add a candy corn garnish.

  • 24 of 25

    The Something Blue

    Something Blue Sparkling Wine Cocktail

    Evgenia_Eliseeva / iStock / Getty Images Plus 

    One of the best and easiest wedding cocktails you will find, this something blue cocktail is a delightful three-ingredient recipe. Beautiful in the glass, most of the flavor comes from Hpnotiq liqueur's tropical fruit blend, which is accented by a soft white wine and sparkling ginger ale.

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  • 25 of 25

    Happy New Year

    The Happy New Year Cocktail

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

    The happy new year cocktail uses a trifecta of wine-based ingredients. The classic recipe combines brandy, ruby port, and Champagne with the tart taste of orange juice to create a remarkable beverage worthy of any celebration.