Last Updated on December 4, 2020 by Fiona Maclean
How to make a Bellini cocktail
Looking for the perfect gift for Christmas? If you are planning on treating someone who, like me, is a fan of Prosecco, why not try the Bellini case from the Wine Society. I was fortunate to be offered the chance to review one and make my own Bellini cocktail. As a lover of fizz, I was not disappointed at all by this gift box with a full bottle of fizz, classic white peach puree and a rather less conventional rhubarb nectar to mix with the prosecco for the perfect Bellini!
The Bellini cocktail originates from Venice, Italy with white peach juice and prosecco the two traditional ingredients used. Giuseppe Cipriani, the founder of Harry’s Bar, created the drink for the first time between 1934 and 1948 and named it because the unique pink colour reminded him of a painting by Giovanni Bellini. Originally a seasonal speciality, it later became popular in New York at the Harry’s Bar then. Such was the enthusiasm for the drink that it inspired a new business, exporting white peach purée from France to both locations, and quickly became a year-round favourite.
The Wine Society Bellini Case comes packaged in a stylish box with two small, 250ml, bottles of nectar, one white peach, and one rhubarb both produced by Van Nahmen, artisan makers from the Lower Rhine in Germany. The prosecco, the main bottle in the case, is the Wine Society’s Prosecco, made from grapes grown on UNESCO terraced slopes of Valdobbiadene, mostly from small family holdings. It gets rave reviews and I loved the crisp, well-balanced fizz – the perfect foil for the perfect Bellini.
What better excuse for a Bellini cocktail than an afternoon tea? Given none of my favourite top London afternoon tea destinations were open, I chose to make the cocktail at home, using the white peach nectar to elevate an afternoon tea kit delivered as a special treat from the Gentlemen Baristas. The cocktail was fresh and fruity with just the right balance of tartness from the fruit used. The nectars would work equally well with sparkling water for a refreshing, non-alcoholic, drink.
Bellini cocktail with peach nectar
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Fill the flute to a third with white peach nectar (or fresh white peach juice)
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Slowly top the glass up with chilled Prosecco to complete the cocktail
You can make a naughtier version of the Bellini by using a mix of peach juice, peach schnapps and lemon juice, which should be shaken over ice and strained into the glass before topping with Prosecco as before
This is the kind of Christmas gift that would work perfectly for any lover of fizz. And, it’s also the kind of treat that anyone who is right in the middle of sorting out Christmas for their family might just deserve as a treat for themselves! It retails for £22.50 including delivery and you can buy it in time for Christmas from the Wine Society’s own shop.
The Wine Society is the world’s oldest wine club, a membership organisation, founded in 1874, offering quality wine at a reasonable price to its members. The one-off joining fee for the Wine Society is only £40.00, well worth the price. On joining you will receive a voucher for £20 towards any purchase. They offer a wealth of wines, carefully chosen for the society by expert buyers and a number of special kits and gift packs.
Why not consider joining the Wine Society, or buying a membership for someone you know, and benefit from the excellent offers the membership brings?.
For more details on the Wine Society click here
My afternoon tea was supplied by The Gentlemen Baristas
If you are a fan of Prosecco based cocktails do try our twist on a French 75 – an Italian 75 with gin, prosecco and lemon juice.
Does Chanpagne work with Bellini as well or does it have to be Processo?
Can see me trying this in Rome
I love the sound of this cocktail as it has Prosecco in it! Something I can make at home. Thank you
Sounds really good, another one to try and make