Cocktail recipes with wine can turn a bottle of bubbly into something completely different.
Instead of reaching for the same vodka or tequila cocktail, try a Bellini, a fruity Moscato sangria, a citrusy Brut spritz, or a sparkling margarita. Opera Prima has a lineup that makes experimenting easy, with options including Bellini, Mimosa, Rosé Moscato, Blue Moscato, Brut, and Rosso.
Wine cocktails are an easy way to switch up your usual glass without making your home bar complicated. From sparkling wine drinks to fruit forward combinations, there are plenty of ways to build a cocktail around wine. If you want to explore the wider world of wine based drinks, this guide to wine cocktails from Wine Folly is a useful place to start.
Here are seven easy recipes to try when you want your next glass to feel a little less predictable.
1. Peachy Bellini Citrus Twist
Opera Prima Bellini is an easy starting point when you want a cocktail that tastes like more than sparkling wine and juice. It already brings peach and grapefruit flavors to the glass, so a little fresh citrus is enough to change the drink.
What You Need
4 oz. Opera Prima Bellini
½ oz. fresh grapefruit juice
2 thin peach slices
Ice
How To Make It
Fill a wine glass with ice. Add the grapefruit juice, then pour in the Opera Prima Bellini. Stir gently and add the peach slices.
The peach keeps the drink soft and fruity, while grapefruit gives it a sharper finish. Serve it at brunch, pour it for a casual afternoon drink, or keep the bottle chilled for an easy pour when friends stop by.
If you want to explore more peach forward drinks, read about what a Bellini is and how it differs from other sparkling cocktails.
2. Rosé Moscato Strawberry Fizz
Opera Prima Rosé Moscato is a natural match for fresh strawberries. The wine brings fruit and sweetness, while lemon keeps the cocktail from becoming too sweet.
What You Need
4 oz. Opera Prima Rosé Moscato
1 oz. fresh strawberry purée
½ oz. fresh lemon juice
1 oz. sparkling water
2 to 3 fresh strawberries
Ice
How To Make It
Add the strawberry purée and lemon juice to a wine glass. Fill the glass with ice and pour in the Rosé Moscato. Top with sparkling water and stir once or twice. Add fresh strawberries before serving.
This is the kind of sparkling wine drink that works especially well when you want something fruity without spending ten minutes behind the bar. It also makes an easy brunch option when you want to move beyond a traditional mimosa.
3. Citrus Brut Spritz
If you prefer a drier drink, start with Opera Prima Brut instead of Moscato.
What You Need
3 oz. Opera Prima Brut
1 oz. fresh grapefruit juice
½ oz. fresh lemon juice
2 oz. sparkling water
Ice
Grapefruit or lemon slice
How To Make It
Fill a wine glass with ice. Add the grapefruit juice and lemon juice, then pour in the Brut. Top with sparkling water and stir gently. Finish with a citrus slice.
This recipe lets the fresh citrus do most of the work. Opera Prima Brut gives you a crisp sparkling base, so the finished drink is refreshing without relying on a sweet mixer.
It is a good choice for anyone who likes cocktails but usually orders something dry.
4. Blue Moscato Berry Sangria
Blue Moscato gives you a colorful base for a pitcher that looks as good on the table as it does in the glass. This is one of the easiest wine recipes to make when you are serving several people.
What You Need
1 bottle Opera Prima Blue Moscato
½ cup blueberries
½ cup blackberries
¼ cup orange juice
Fresh mint
Ice
How To Make It
Add the blueberries, blackberries, and orange juice to a pitcher. Pour in the Blue Moscato and stir gently. Chill until you are ready to serve.
Pour over ice and add fresh mint to each glass.
This combination is already featured in Opera Prima’s sparkling wine cocktail ideas, making it a particularly easy recipe to recreate at home. For more ideas for casual entertaining, check out sparkling wine cocktails for game day.
5. Tangerine Mimosa
Opera Prima Mimosa takes care of the classic sparkling wine and orange combination, so you can concentrate on adding a fresh citrus twist.
What You Need
3 oz. Opera Prima Mimosa
3 oz. orange sparkling water
Fresh tangerine slices
Ice
How To Make It
Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour in the Opera Prima Mimosa and add the orange sparkling water. Stir gently and finish with fresh tangerine slices.
The extra citrus gives a familiar brunch favorite a slightly different flavor without turning it into a complicated cocktail.
Serve this one with pancakes, French toast, fruit, or a late morning spread with friends. If brunch is your favorite excuse for bubbles, explore more sparkling wine cocktails for weekend brunch.
6. Sparkling Margarita
A margarita does not have to be limited to tequila, lime, and orange liqueur. Opera Prima’s Sparkling Marg, also called the Mimosarita, adds sparkling Mimosa to the classic combination.
What You Need
1.25 oz. silver tequila
0.75 oz. lime juice
0.75 oz. triple sec
1.5 oz. Opera Prima Mimosa
Ice
Lime or orange slice
Pink rock salt
How To Make It
Shake the tequila, lime juice, and triple sec with ice. Strain into a margarita or rocks glass over fresh ice. Slowly pour the Opera Prima Mimosa over the top. Garnish with a lime wheel or orange slice and finish with pink rock salt.
The Mimosa brings citrus and bubbles to a drink that normally finishes much heavier. It is a fun option for taco night, a weekend get together, or any time you want your margarita to have a little more sparkle.
You can find the full Sparkling Marg recipe for the exact preparation.
7. Magic Hour
When you want something that feels more like a cocktail bar creation, try Opera Prima’s Magic Hour.
What You Need
1½ oz. Lillet Rosé
1 tsp. yellow Chartreuse
½ oz. grapefruit juice
¼ oz. simple syrup
Opera Prima Rosso, chilled
Opera Prima Brut, chilled
Grapefruit twist
How To Make It
Combine the Lillet Rosé, yellow Chartreuse, grapefruit juice, and simple syrup. Add chilled Opera Prima Rosso and Brut. Stir gently and finish with a grapefruit twist.
This recipe is a good example of how different Opera Prima bottles can work together. Rosso adds a richer fruit character, while Brut brings the crisp bubbles that keep the drink fresh.
Save this one for an evening when you want to make something a little more interesting than a two ingredient spritz.
Which Opera Prima Wine Should You Use?
Choosing the right bottle is easier when you start with the flavor you want.
Want something fruity? Try Opera Prima Rosé Moscato or Blue Moscato. Both give you a sweeter, fruit forward base that works well with berries and fresh citrus.
Want peach? Opera Prima Bellini gives you peach and grapefruit flavors without needing to build a Bellini from scratch.
Want citrus? Opera Prima Mimosa is an easy choice for brunch cocktails and recipes that already call for orange flavors.
Prefer a dry cocktail? Opera Prima Brut is the better starting point when you want fresh citrus, herbs, or sparkling water to stand out.
Want more depth? Opera Prima Rosso can bring a richer fruit character to cocktails such as Magic Hour.
You can also browse the Opera Prima sparkling wine recipes when you want to try something beyond these seven drinks.
Make Wine Your Cocktail Ingredient
A bottle of sparkling wine does not have to stay in the same glass all night.
Use Bellini when peaches sound good. Reach for Rosé Moscato when strawberries are in season. Pour Brut when you want something crisp and citrusy. Keep Mimosa chilled for brunch, or turn it into a Sparkling Marg when the evening calls for tequila.
That is the fun of these cocktail recipes with wine. You can start with the Opera Prima bottle you already like and build the drink around it.
When you are ready to try another combination, explore more Opera Prima recipes and cocktail ideas.