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.
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WOW what a great recipe. There are days when it is just too hot to drink wine NOT anymore!!
My favorite drink on a trip to Spain was tinto de verano, made by mixing red wine and lemon soda. Lighter and more thirst-quenching than sangria. Yum!!
An excellent summer recipe…here the typical is the sangria but this lemonade with red wine looks supreme!
I think it’d go perfect also some blend of red wines like a Tannat more Cabernet Sauvignon
Cheers,
Gera
That sounds refreshing and delightful! I’d like to have a glass right now.
sounds divine!
My mouth is watering!
Well, the temp here in the N. Georgia Blue Ridge mountains is supposed to be 95 tomorrow!!! Unusual for us, so this would make a perfect afternoon treat for our guests. I can see them now, sitting on the porch, sipping Red Wine lemonade… happy guests make even happier innkeepers!
that most certainly sounds refreshing, although i haven’t been oppressed by the heat yet. give it time and i’ll be longing for the cool weather again.
This sounds like a very refreshing way to enjoy some relaxation during the summer heat Sandie:D