Aperol Spritz
Many beach bars offer Prosecco, usually the cheapest kind, masking its mediocrity by adding a splash of soda, plenty of ice, and Aperol, an orange-colored Italian liqueur with a bittersweet taste. The recipe is simple: plenty of ice, 30 milliliters of Aperol, 50 milliliters of Prosecco, sparkling water, and an orange slice for garnish.
Bicicletta
An unremarkable white wine works better as a base for the Bicicletta, an Italian cocktail made by pouring 85 milliliters of dry white wine over plenty of ice and adding 60 milliliters of Campari and 30 milliliters of soda water. An orange slice can be placed on the rim of the glass or inside it.
Red Wine Spritz Mule
It isn’t the real Red Mule, of course, but this simple version will still help mask the unpleasant flavors of a poor-quality red wine. Pour 85 milliliters of dry red wine into a glass filled with ice, then add 60 milliliters of a mixer like Schweppes and a lemon slice or wheel.
The best way to deal with the problem of bad wine is, after all, to get some good wine.
Photo: Stanislav Ivanitskiy on Unsplash