I had the strangest experience recently.
I was with some friends and we opened a bottle of champagne.
One of the men immediately ordered a lemon-lime soda and poured it into his half-filled glass of champagne and did the same thing with his wife's glass.
Intrigued I tried a little and found that the doctored champagne was not my thing.
However, it made me start to think about ways to turn wine into very different drinks.
The goal may be to make certain wines more palatable for those in your circle of friends and family who are not quite wine drinkers yet.
Yet for many people, wine based beverages are just one more way to enjoy their favorite drink, especially in the hot summer months.
A great, reliable way to liven up any type of wine, but especially red wines is to turn them into sangria.
This delicious Spanish drink is a fun way to enjoy a light and pleasant wine-based beverage, sure to cool you down in the hot weather.
Cut-up fruit, sugar, brandy and soda, the essential ingredients in sangria, can make just about anything taste better.
It is the perfect way to treat a bottle of wine that you're not crazy about.
It's also a great way to make a bottle go much further.
People will surely come back for more.
Another popular way to dress up a glass of wine is by adding club soda to a half-filled glass and serving it with a cherry.
A wine spritzer, as this drink is called, is very popular.
It makes a lighter drink than wine alone and it evokes feelings of summer.
The thing to be careful for is that wine spritzers sometimes go to your head more quickly because of the carbonation.
Wine punches are fantastic for a party.
They make a light fun drink for showers and outdoor events.
There are so many combinations for creating a great wine punch.
They can even be a centerpiece with their pretty colors and attractive garnishes.
You can add fruit juices, club soda, ginger ale and other types of alcohol like brandy or liqueurs.
Try combining two different wines in your punch like a dry white wine and a sherry.
A wonderful touch is to add frozen fruit like citrus slices, berries, peaches or even a frozen ring of fruit in soda.
It helps keep the wine punch cold as well as looking appetizing.
Mimosas, or a mixture of champagne and orange juice, are wonderful if you having friends in for brunch or are serving breakfast to houseguests.
It makes a great addition to a light lunch or for just hanging around the pool.
Nothing says elegance like a mimosa.
Summer time is also a great time to try some of the light fruity wines that are available.
Many Rieslings make the perfect light summer drink.
There are also many fruit infused wines like blackberry Merlot, which are fun flavorful wines to enjoy on a hot summer day.
No matter how you serve your favorite wine, it makes summer more fun.