White Wine Spritzer

Wine is always a drink of choice, but it's not the most refreshing drink when summer rolls around. Enter, the white wine spritzer: a super-cold blend of crisp, fruity white wine, sparkling water, and a little fruit for fun. It's one of the easiest cocktail recipes that's guaranteed to cool things down, keep folks hydrated, but keep the party going strong! If there's a big summer cookout in the works, add this drink to the menu!

What's the best wine for this recipe?

The secret to making the best white wine spritzer is to use a white wine that you already love. Into dry, crisp whites? Go with a Pinot Grigio or a Vhino Verde, a Portuguese wine that already has a hint of effervescence to it. Love rounder, softer whites? Try an unoaked Chardonnay, or even a semi-dry riesling. Just remember that flavor is important. Since the wine will be diluted by the sparkling water and not masked with a flavorful mixer, start with your preferred wine then accent it with fresh fruit to match the wine's fruity notes (often mentioned on the back label).

What sparkling water is best for white wine spritzers?

Any plain (unflavored) carbonated water will make a perfectly lovely spritzer, but there are slight differences. Club soda is a popular choice for spritzers because it is very neutral in flavor, unlike fancier sparkling mineral water (like San Pellegrino, Perrier, or Topo Chico that's used in Ree Drummond's Ranch Water drink), which have subtle flavor differences based on the springs from which they're bottled. But take note: Club soda has a lot more sodium per serving that these sparkling mineral waters (there's about 80 milligrams of sodium in club soda versus 10 milligrams in mineral water). Don't panic, it's definitely not like drinking sea water but there is a subtle saltiness (which is kinda nice, actually). All that to say, stay away from fruit-flavored sparkling water or diet drinks—the artificial flavors in them take away from the pure, refreshing flavor that's the soul of a white wine spritzer.

How do you make fruity ice cubes?

Making beautiful, fruit-filled ice cubes to garnish your spritz is as easy as popping some fresh fruit into ice cube trays, filling them with water, and freezing until solid. To make stunning fruity ice cubes that are nice and clear, use distilled water.