Wine & Spirits

Sensational summer wine and cocktails

Sensational summer wine and cocktails

Sensational summer wine and cocktails Author: Style At Home

Wine & Spirits

Sensational summer wine and cocktails

Whatever your beverage of choice, we've got all you need to know for sensational summer sipping!

Summer wine selections

Summer sipping

Light, crisp, juicy wines, perfect for sipping on a hot summer day.

What better way to celebrate our all-too-short alfresco season than with a little party? Whether your taste and budget run to catering a lavish cinq à sept under the setting sun in the back garden, or just sparking the 'cue and having friends over for wine and a casual lunch on the balcony, wining and dining outdoors is a treat in Canada. Which begs the question, What to uncork? Just as we change our clothes to suit the weather, I look to different corners of my wine cellar as the seasons change. During fall and winter, I turn to wines with rich, robust flavours, and solid body and balance to match the heartier foods we tend to eat. For summer drinking, I enjoy light, crisp, juicy wines -- with lighter body, lower alcohol and a refreshing bite of acidity -- so welcome at this time of year.


Winning wines

The authors of Have a Glass debunk some wine myths and help simplify your selection at the liquor store.

Fear. Agony. Indecision. Those are just some words that may describe your state upon entering a liquor store. But according to the authors of a new book on wine appreciation, selecting the right wine for your holiday entertaining is as simple as popping the cork.


Canada's favourite wines

Find out which wines have shaped the Canadian palate in the past 10 years.

The wine consumer can be awfully fickle. Witness the sudden change in drinking patterns that occurred after a widely viewed episode of 60 Minutes, broadcast in November 1991, suggested that despite a richer, fattier diet, French wine drinkers had fewer heart attacks because they consumed red wine. Within days, retailers began to notice more purchases of red wine.

Specific summer wine ideas

Canadian sparkling wine
Wine expert Konrad Ejbich fills us in on Canada's best sparkling wines.

The world is full of snobs who think only the French can make a decent sparkling wine. There's no question that champagne is remarkable, but so is its price. For those of us who adore a glass of fizz before serious dining and drinking but are financially challenged in these subprime/post-bailout days, there are plenty of reasons to celebrate the quality of locally produced bubblies.


Revival of rosé

Thanks to changing tastes, rosés are enjoying a revival.

Who said pink wines must be reserved for summer? Whoever you are, know this: we’ve stopped listening. Wine aficionados all over the world are rejecting a number of old notions about rosés. The result? Growing sales, and wines showing up in restaurants and wine shops.


Riesling rapture

Ripe Riesling smells fruity and sweet but tastes refreshingly crisp and dry.

At my table, German Riesling rivals lemonade as the perfect summer drink. With its vibrant fruity bouquet, fresh, tart flavours and comfortably low alcohol level, Riesling is suited to sipping on sunny days.


Traditional summer cocktail drinks

Lemon aid
Tweaking a classic lemonade recipe turns this summer fave into a sophisticated, adult-only drink.

Lemonade is summer's all-purpose thirst-quencher, appealing to all ages, classes and cultures. When it’s hot outside, there's no quicker way to cool down inside than with an icy glassful of the classic drink. But with a tweak or two to the standard recipe, it's easy to transform that "olde-tyme" refreshment into a sophisticated, adult-only libation.


Si, si sangria!


Stir up some excitement with sangria, a refreshing summer hit. We've got easy recipes for you to try at home.

The word sangria usually conjures up cheap red wine punch served in a sweaty jug beside Tex-Mex food. If that's your primary image, it's time to switch lenses. Sangria (its name is derived from the Spanish word for "bleeding") has gone through many incarnations since it appeared in North America at the 1964 World's Fair.


Konrad Ejbich's favourite margarita recipe

This margarita recipe will transport your guests to the tropics with the taste of this salty-sour elixir.

Most margarita recipes appeal to me, except those made with "insta-mix." Generally, I prefer chilled over frozen, shaken over blended, and classic over flavoured. However, I'm open to frozen, blended, naturally fruity incarnations, such as strawberry and, my new fave, mango margaritas. Here's the recipe I use. It's as easy as 1-2-3.


Summer cocktail recipes

Summer cocktails
You'll love these cute and useful summer cocktail recipe cards. It's easy to download and print these free cocktail recipe cards. They'll turn you into the very best backyard bartender in no time!

What's a summer get-together without a cool, delicious cocktail? Use our printer-friendly summer cocktail recipe cards to help you whip up six sensational summertime favourites, including Strawberry Lemon Crush, Cava Sangria, Slushy Limoncello Watermelon Lemonade, Strawberry Rum Punch, Negroni Sprizter and Frosty Peach Daiquiris. They're a breeze to make and a delight to sip!


Watermelon cooler

Make this slushy drink to cool down on a hot summer day.

This is the dreamiest drink i’ve had in ages. So agree the friends I most recently shared it with. They, like me, love how it’s naturally sweetened with honey. It’s a lot of fun to serve in chilled jelly glasses.


Berry cool cocktails

Sweeten summer entertaining with these delicious fruity cocktails.

Absolutely nothing says summer better than a handful of fresh-picked berries. They wake up our taste receptors with their vibrant colours, intense flavours and natural textures. I salivate instinctively at the ripe, sweet smell of strawberries, the popping crunch of wild blueberries, and that first juicy squirt of tart raspberries crushed on my tongue.


Lead image courtesy of Pottery Barn.

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Wine & Spirits

Sensational summer wine and cocktails