Luscious cocktails made with wine

Watermelon Sangria

To go with summer's lighter foods fresh from the garden or farm, cocktails made with wine instead of hard liquor can lighten up your alcohol consumption, too. In fact, "mocktails" made without any alcohol are a great option with summer's bounteous, fresh ingredients, too.

A recent cocktail from my garden started with peeled and seeded cucumber pureed in the blender with a handful of basil and a little mint. I let this mixture sit for a few minutes, then poured it through a strainer to remove the solids. Combining that with lime juice and sweetener -- I used a combo of agave, Splenda and simple syrup to keep calories down -- I poured it over crushed ice. If you want any alcohol with this drink, I'd suggest tequila.

Here is a link to a slide show on the Food & Wine website that includes recipes for 10 wine-based cocktails, including this one for Watermelon Sangria.
Also pictured, and in the Food & Wine article, is an orange-infused white wine drink)

Recipe: Watermelon Sangria (will serve 4-6)

Ingredients:

2 pounds seedless watermelon, peeled and cubed, plus 1/2 pound watermelon cut into balls with a melon baller and skewered on picks
1 bottle dry white wine
6 ounces vodka (optional)4 ounces Cointreau or other triple sec
4 ounces Citrus Syrup
Ice    

Instructions:

 In a blender, puree the watermelon cubes. Pour through a fine strainer into a pitcher. Add the white wine, vodka, Cointreau and Citrus Syrup. Stir and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Stir again, then pour the sangria into ice-filled white wine glasses and garnish with the skewered watermelon balls. 

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