Enjoy these four holiday drink and dessert recipes made with wine

2020 has given us enough mix ups, to say the very least, but instead of retreating to the same old-same old, you can get some truly delicious results with some fun (and strategic) wine mixing. All of us here at Clavey Vineyards & Winery put our heads together to recommend some tried and true, creative ways to meld some new flavors and ingredients with your favorite bottles. Have fun with these and as always, discover the natural taste of Clavey Wines – they’re award winning, affordable, and vegan friendly.

1. Clavey’s Famous Poached Pears Recipe

You must try this. Not a drink recipe but rather a creative and seasonally appropriate dessert. While using our San Francisco Chronicle Gold Medal wining 20015 Class III. This recipe is so good that we shot a beautiful video guide for it.

2. Holiday Wine Punch

There is a nearly endless amount of possibility but the premise is simple.

• Your favorite wine (in large quantity)
• Fruit juice (avoid the overly sweet juices)
• Carbonation (any type including fun flavors of sparkling water or a lemon-lime soda)
• Any sweetener or pantry garnish

One of our favorite combinations is our Sangiovese + orange & cranberry juice + ginger beer + vanilla. We prefer it not be on the sweet side but have fun with it and play with the proportions while balancing the acidity in the juices with the red wine. Apply this recipe to any red wine, play with the mix, and come up with your own refreshing variation on holiday wine punch.

3. Spiced (Mulled) Wine

These two wine mixes are fairly similar so we’re going to lump them together. These are perfect for a chilly day, can stay warm for hours on the stove (just keep that heat real low), and are sure to keep the festivities rolling. Here’s what you need:

• 2 bottles of Sangiovese
• 3 sliced oranges
• 1/4 cup of orange juice
• 5 cinnamon sticks (can be used as an after garnish, as well)
• 3 whole star anise
• 2.5 cups of fresh apple cider
• Raw honey (to taste) – add after the mulled wine has simmered

Stir and simmer with a lid on for up to four hours (but keep the heat low, you don’t want to burn the alcohol). A

And what do you know? We just so happen to have another video guide and recipe.

4. Red Wine Spritzer

Spritzers are not the first thing that comes to mind during the holidays but face it, we are bombarded with hearty meals, decadent desserts, and dairy between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Sometimes all it takes is a refreshing, fizzy cocktail to give us some reprieve from the deluge of holiday delectables forced upon us. This is where a red wine spritzer works wonders. Of course, you can use a red or white wine but we love a nice Syrah mixed with 34 ounces of club soda. Just add in some muddled fresh herbs (mint and basil are our favorites for red wine) and any muddled fresh fruit (berries are best for red wine and berries and/or a cut up pitted fruit such as a peach for your white wine spritzer). That’s it. Really. We thought we would save the easiest of the bunch for last.

No matter what you decide to consume over this holiday season we only ask that you enjoy it, responsibly of course.

Cheers!