December 20, 2011
Wine books can be overwhelmingly technical and, let’s face it (sorry)— boring, but Joseph Bastianich and David Lynch’s Vino Italiano: The Regional Wines of Italy, gives a wonderful glimpse into the wines of Italy. Covering the basics of Italian wine, it also includes recipes and stories of the food and wine of the region. It’s a great escape read that lets me fantasize for a brief moment about packing up the fam and moving to a stone house in Fiesole.
This sparkling wine cocktail recipe is inspired by one found in Vino Italiano. Normally I am not a fan of mixing anything with wine, but this sounded simple and pretty. I tweaked the recipe a little (it’s so easy) and I gotta say, it makes a great holiday cocktail.
The cinnamon and pomegranate add a warm, wintry touch to the Prosecco, the Italian sparkling wine. And since it’s an Italian cocktail, stick with Italian wine and use the Prosecco. It’s affordable; I found a bottle at Trader Joe’s for $6.99. A California sparkling wine will be too sweet.
Adapted from Mario Batali’s recipe in Vino Italiano
Makes 1 drink
1 teaspoon fresh pomegranate juice (I just used some POM juice)
Pinch of cinnamon
Prosecco sparkling wine
Fresh pomegranate seeds for garnish
In a Champagne flute, add the pomegranate juice. Fill the remainder of the glass with Prosecco, and then add a pinch of cinnamon. If you’re making a bunch of drinks, it’s best to pour the Prosecco into a pitcher and keep the pitcher on ice. This will diminish the amount of foaming when you pour the drinks. Toss in a few pomegranate seeds; at first they’ll sink and then rise to the top.
The Virgin of Venice
Adapted for my two daughters
Makes 1 drink
1 teaspoon fresh pomegranate juice (or POM)
Pinch of cinnamon
Sparkling water
Fresh pomegranate seeds for garnish
