Wine

As more and more health-conscious people turn away from hard liquor, wine and wine-based drinks are growing rapidly in popularity . Commercial wine coolers (make with wine, fruit flavorings and sparkling water), for example, have been a hit with consumers. In addition, a number of low-alcohol and non-alcoholic wines are now available. These beverages have all the sophisticated flavor of wine, without the alcohol - and without the calories.

One of the best things about wine-based drinks is that they're good-tasting even when made with inexpensive jug wines. Save your special bottles for serving with special meals.

Serving wine. Every wine has an optimal serving temperature. Red wines should be served at about 15C (60F) to 20C (65F) - room temperature from the days before central heating. Most red wines and roses can also be served slightly chilled; half an hour in the refrigerator is usually enough. White wine are best when served chilled. Put them in the refrigerator for about 2 hours before serving, or chill the bottles about 20 minutes in an ice-filled wine cooler. ( If the wine is to be used in a drink with ice, it is preferable but not necessary to chill it first.) Sparkling wine taste best when cool, not icy cold. Refrigerate the bottles about an hour before serving. Sherry should not be chilled.

Count on approximately six servings for every 750-mililiter bottle of red, white or sparkling wine.

Wine served 'straight' should always be sipped from a wine glass; sparkling wine can also be served in a champagne flute. Serve wine-based drinks such as coolers and spritzers either in wine glasses or in regular tall glasses.

When serving wine by itself, never fill the wine glass more than half full - the empty space allows the aroma of the wine to blossom. On a hot day, it is perfectly acceptable to add a few ice cubes to a glass of white wine.

1. Red Wine Cooler
2. Hot Lemon Wine
3. Lemon Cooler
4. Pineapple Cooler
5. Orange Fizz
6. Buck's Fizz
7. Peach Sparkler
8. Orange Sparkler