Five Creative Ways to Drink Wine

I just counted all of the bottles of wine in the house. There are 21.

This is mostly due to the indulgence of my recent excursion, but a few others were gifts and splurges. And with the holidays coming up, there’s no doubt that we’ll accrue a few more -- a bottle of wine is the gift that says, “I had no idea what else to get you.”

So naturally, there’s a bit of a push for wine drinking in this house. Thankfully, I’ve picked up a few interesting tips along the way. I’m no expert, but lucky for me, the good people over at are, and they gave me a few ideas to put that vino to good use.

1. Make sangria. Sangria is a wine punch that involves mixing seasonal fruits with wine, usually a red. You can make different flavors with different fruits, or even mix fruits -- like a combination of apple and cranberry, or strawberry and peach. Some sangria recipes suggest mixing in some ginger ale to make it a little bubbly.

2. Mix with juices. Sangria usually requires that the fruit “marinade” in the wine for a couple of days, and I’m just not that patient. The faster way is to mix your favorite wine with a fruit juice. Try what Bonnie Pysher, the chief winemaker at Franklin Hill, does -- she likes to mix Pomegranate Peach wine with some cranberry juice for a fruity concoction.

3. Add some liquor. Let’s face it, wine is not exactly a “manly” drink -- I get self-conscious just holding a wine glass in public view. So instead, grab a tumbler, pour in some semi-sweet wine, and add a splash or two of vodka. I can’t really speak for any other liquors, but a little Absolut mixes well with a good red.

4. Try mulling. According to Michael DeLorenzo, manager of the , fall and winter are the best times for mulling -- the process of combining wine, usually red, with spices like cinnamon or cloves and serving it warm for a delicious cider-like treat.

In fact, you can buy mulling bags, which are basically oversized tea bags filled with spices that steep in warm wine. And the best part: They’re reusable!

And my personal favorite tip…

5. Make a milkshake. I honestly never would have thought about this if not for Pysher, who admitted she occasionally mixes Fainting Goat -- a semi-sweet black cherry wine -- with ice cream to make a milkshake. Or would it be a wine-shake? Either way, it sounds delicious. I haven’t attempted this one yet myself, but when I do, I’ll be sure to post a comment about the results.

Wine mixes just like any other beverage. Get creative with it! There is a Spanish drink called calimocho that is equal parts cola and red wine. It’s actually pretty good!