Refreshing with a hint of orange, this easy Red Wine Spritzer is a tasty wine cocktail with just the right amount of fizz.
A new way to drink red wine
Raise your hand if you are a fan of wine cocktails!
My go-to wines are sauvignon blanc and rosé, but I also love making easy cocktails at home.
Wine cocktails are a great way to get that wine flavor you love along with a variety of other flavors.
A Pear Sangria is great for sharing with friends.
An Aperol Spritz uses sparkling wine to make a fun, bitter orange drink.
And a White Wine Spritzer is great for when I want something with a bit less alcohol.
Theoretically, red wine just feels right in winter. But our California winters (as I write this, it’s the beginning of January. It was 85 degrees today…) call for something a little more refreshing.
A spritzer made with red wine has that rich flavor you love in a glass of red with a bit of fizz.
The hint of fresh orange adds another layer of flavor. I also think it keeps this drink feeling finished and not just like watered-down wine.
A spritzer is typically made with with white wine and soda water. They are a “tall” drink which means there is a larger volume of liquid and therefore more diluted than some cocktails. But they can also be made with red wine.
You’re looking for wines that are fruity and aromatic like a pinot noir or grenache. I prefer to use wines that I already enjoy the taste of. So if there is a red you prefer, use that.
Because the only alcohol in a spritzer is the wine, it will have less alcohol than a regular glass. A standard glass can be between 8 and 14 ABV while as spritzer will be closer to 6 ABV.
How to make a Red Wine Spritzer
This “recipe” is a guide, but you should make this to your liking. If that means you want to use just a splash of soda, do it! More red wine, fine!
Ingredients
My husband was given a few bottles of Revelshine wine. This bottle is made to take with you. So I like to think of this as hiking wine… But you can use whatever red wine you’d like.
This is a red blend and absolutely lovely. It has some berry notes making it a great choice for this drink.
For a spritzer, you can use any type of bubbly water you like. They mostly don’t have too much flavor (except for sparkling mineral water). I feel like club soda has more fizz than some others. So use what you love and have on hand.
You do not need to use the orange. But I really love the added fruitiness it gives it.
To be clear, this doesn’t make it taste like sangria (but you should make this Apple Spice Sangria at some point).
If you don’t have a fresh orange, you could use a splash of store-bought orange juice, although that will be a little sweeter. Or use a few drops of Orange bitters.
Instructions
Add ice to a wine glass.
Squeeze the juice from half an orange. I would say that’s about ½ ounces of orange juice.
Then add the red wine. Here is where you make it taste the way you want it to.
Some spritzers are made with equal parts red wine to club soda. But you could do one part red wine to 2 parts soda water. Do you, boo.
Top it with club soda.
My drink was one part red wine to two parts of club soda.
A garnish of orange perfectly finishes off the drink.
Using fresh fruit or herbs as a garnish is a great way to add to the cocktail sipping experience.
When the scent hit your nose it’s the absolute best!
This spritzer is so simple. You have to give it a try!
This red wine cocktail is great for any time of year. And because it has a little bit less alcohol, this is a great day drinking or brunch drink!
More easy cocktail recipes
- A Lemonade Moscow Mule is a simple drink to make that is full of flavor and gives you an excuse to use those cute copper mugs.
- If you love coke, you need to try a Coke-ito. That’s my name for a Mojito made with coke! YUM!
- This Rum and Wine Cocktail sounds crazy but the flavor is out of this world!!!!! With white zinfandel and spiced rum, this is a great drink with a tropical-ish taste.
Or see my collections of Moscow Mule Variations and Vodka Cocktails.
Red Wine Spritzer
Ingredients
- ½ ounce orange juice (optional)
- 2 ounces red wine
- 4 ounces club soda
Instructions
- Add ice to a wine glass.
- Add orange juice then red wine.
- Top with club soda.
- Give it a gentle stir then garnish with an orange slice.
Notes
- You can easily leave out the fresh orange juice and still have a super refreshing drink.
- Use a fruity red wine, like a pinot noir.
- You can change the ratio to suit your flavor preferences. I did 1 part red wine to 2 parts of club soda because I’m not a huge red wine fine, but if you are, you can do equal parts wine to club soda.
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