As a host, it's easy to prep and can all be done in advance, and as the imbiber, I'm also a big fan. I love a wine-based cocktail with a lower alcohol percentage so I can refill my glass a couple of times. It's also a really affordable option for hosting, with a low cost per serving, since there are many good sparkling wines on the market these days for about $10, and you only need to buy one. I have a summer version of white sangria with our Lemon Herb syrup, peaches, fresh muddled herbs and orange slices, but this one is fit for a winter party.

In my days of cocktail catering, I loved to start an event with something bubbly to set the "this is a party!" mood, and this would be a fantastic welcome cocktail. Winter White Sangria is a good choice to serve when you want to stick somewhat to a seasonal theme while serving a drink that is still refreshing, cold, and bright. It's easily pre-batched, which is glorious as a host, and it's just as at home at a baby shower or book club dinner as it is at your Christmas brunch. I get seasonal flavor fatigue in Fall and winter where another hot and cozy drink just won't do, and I think for a livelier indoor party that's especially true. The winter white sangria is here to brridge the craving gap.

Makes 6 cocktails

• 25 ounces dry sparkling wine (750 ml bottle)
• 3 ounces Apple Pie syrup
• 3 ounces ginger beer
• 2 ounces water
• 10 dashes angostura bitters
• 1 ½ cups of mixed fruit: use what you have and choose between pomegranate arils, cubed apples, orange slices, cranberries

Add all ingredients except for wine and apples to a pitcher and stir, refrigerate until just before serving. Then add sparkling wine and cubed apples, and other fruit. Stir the cocktail lightly to combine without popping the bubbles. Serve in wine glasses with a straw. Be sure each serving gets some fruit.

A sparkling wine note:

You want a not-too sweet sparkling white wine in this recipe because you will add syrup and the ginger beer to it, and it will be cloying if you use a sweet wine. I often reach for a Spanish sparkling cava to save money when making sparkling wine cocktails, or a Prosecco labeled as “brut,” as champagne gets pricey quickly. Proseccos are found in a spectrum from dry to sweet, but typically the bottles I see widely available at grocers near me are on the sweeter side. Take care to look for a bottle that isn’t, if a drier wine is your preference.

If you prefer to use another wine besides bubbles, try a chenin blanc with ripe apple notes.

make it non-alcoholic winter white sangria:

Non-alcoholic wines have come a long way and are enjoyable on their own (but not all- some are unfortunately sweet, so read reviews or taste before buying.) Where I think these NA wines really star is in zero proof holiday cocktails. I am a huge personal fan of Joyus wines, a female founded company in the PNW that I’ve tasted through and found all of their wines to be delicious! The award-winning wines bring all the social, celebratory, and cultural elements of drinking to the non-alcoholic variety. Premium wine is produced in the heart of California’s wine country before the alcohol is gently left behind in a dealcoholization process, delicately preserving the wine's aromas and flavors.