From the cellar to the glass
Wine cocktails, by the bottle they take
Red wine makes a Sangria, a Kalimotxo with cola or, warmed with spice, Mulled Wine. White makes a Spritzer or a Kir. Sparkling makes the most: a Spritz, a Bellini, a French 75, a Hugo. Below, each one with what else you need, so an open bottle becomes tonight's drink rather than tomorrow's flat one. Barello's cocktail finder shows which you can make from what's already on your shelf.
Cocktails with prosecco and sparkling wine
The biggest group by far. Sparkling wine brings the fizz, the acid and a little sugar in one pour, which is why so many classics finish with it.
- Bellini: with white peach purée
- Champagne Cocktail: with sugar cube and aromatic bitters
- French 75: with gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup
- Hugo: with elderflower syrup, soda water and mint leaves
- Kir Royale: with crème de cassis
- Mimosa: with orange juice
- Negroni Sbagliato: with campari or red bitter and sweet vermouth
- Pornstar Martini (a glass on the side): with vanilla vodka, passionfruit and vanilla sugar
- Spritz: with aperol and soda water
Any bottle counts that says sparkling, Champagne, Prosecco, brut, Cava or Crémant.
Cocktails with white wine
Long, light and cold: white wine with soda, with a splash of cassis, or with Campari.
- Bicicletta: with campari or red bitter and soda water
- Kir: with crème de cassis
- Spritzer: with soda water
- White Sangria: with sugar syrup and seasonal fruit
Any bottle counts that says Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Vermentino, Albariño or Semillon.
Cocktails with red wine
From a jug of Sangria to a warm mug of Mulled Wine, and Spain's habit of red wine with cola or lemonade over ice. The New York Sour floats it on top.
- Kalimotxo: with cola
- Mulled Wine: with honey, orange slice, cinnamon stick and cloves
- New York Sour (floated on top): with whisky, lemon juice and sugar syrup
- Sangria: with orange juice, sugar syrup and orange slice
- Tinto de Verano: with lemonade
Any bottle counts that says Shiraz, Syrah, Cabernet, Merlot, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Grenache, Tempranillo, Sangiovese or Nebbiolo.
Questions people ask
What cocktails can you make with prosecco or sparkling wine?
Bellini, Champagne Cocktail, French 75, Hugo, Kir Royale, Mimosa, Negroni Sbagliato, Pornstar Martini and Spritz. Any sparkling wine works in them: prosecco, Champagne, cava, crémant or a plain brut.
What cocktails can you make with red wine?
Kalimotxo, Mulled Wine, New York Sour, Sangria and Tinto de Verano. Sangria is the best known. Kalimotxo (red wine and cola) and Tinto de Verano (red wine and lemonade) are Spain's two-ingredient summer drinks, and Mulled Wine is the winter one.
What cocktails use white wine?
Bicicletta, Kir, Spritzer and White Sangria. A Spritzer is the simplest: white wine and soda over ice.
Do I need expensive wine for cocktails?
No. The other ingredients carry a lot of the flavour, so keep the good bottle for drinking on its own and use something you'd happily open on a Tuesday.
Can I use the wine I already have?
Yes. Barello counts a bottle in your cellar toward these drinks whenever its name, maker, grape or region matches what the recipe needs, so the prosecco in the fridge already shows up as nine cocktails you can make.
See which of these you can make tonight. Tick what's on your shelf and the finder lists the drinks, free and with no sign-up.
Cocktail finderKeeping the wine and the bar in one place: how Barello does both.