I love red wine, but on hot summer days and evenings, its deep, berried, spiced and sometimes peppery flavor can seem a bit overwhelming.

When wanting to enjoy your favorite red(s) despite the summer heat, particularly when pairing with breakfast, brunch, lunch and light evening dinners, consider serving this delicate and well-balanced Red Wine Lemonade. It’s just what the (drink) doctor ordered!
Discovered in a 1984 cookbook, The Southern Heritage Breakfast and Brunch Cookbook (that I just happened to pick up while browsing a local antique shop), the original recipe, entitled Claret Lemonade, called for the use of Claret or other dry red wine to assume the prominent role. While I prefer a dry wine 99% of the time, I’m quite certain a sweeter red wine would work nicely here as well. For that reason, if you prefer an Argentinian Malbec, an Italian Merlot, a French Cabernet Sauvignon, an Australian Syrah or or even a smooth and mellow American Pinot Noir, all would substitute nicely.
Note - When preparing this recipe most recently, I tried a red wine by Epicuro, a 2006 Sicilia Indicazione Geografica Tipica Nero D’Avola, bought for a song at my favorite Trader Joe’s location in St. Louis, Missouri—delish!

Red Wine Lemonade
(from Inn Cuisine, adpated from The Southern Heritage Breakfast and Brunch Cookbook, circa 1984)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (may increase up to 1/3 cup)
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (may increase up to 1/2 cup), plus lemon slices for garnish
- 3/4 cup dry red wine (may decrease to 1/2 cup)
- 28 ounces club soda, chilled
- crushed ice
Combine sugar, lemon juice and your favorite red wine in a medium to large pitcher; stir until sugar dissolves. Stir in club soda; pour over crushed ice in desired serving glasses. Garnish with lemon slices and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Yield: approximately 1 quart.