Bellini Week: Classic Bellini from Harry's Bar - Venice

One of the things that has recently sparked my interest is extending the wine experience beyond the basic sipping of a classic Chianti or ripe Rose. What if we could make wine less of a traditional experience and take it up the trendsetting ladder?

Truth is, wine is versatile so its somewhat easy to do if your willing to get adventurous by creating your own wine cocktails. In a world consumed with customization, why shouldn't we parlay this into our wine drinking experience? Wine cocktails are exciting, as they can express so much about you - they can be sexy, flirty, colorful, full of flavor and perfect for entertaining. Your personality can be shine through in every wine cocktail you make and it can also reflect the emotion you may be feeling at the time of creation. Use your personal flare and maybe you'll discover something new.

Using a basic Bellini as your foundation can be a great way to start the path of exploration, as the interpretations you can devise with them are nearly endless. Bellinis are a long drink cocktail that originated in Venice and blend sparkling wine (traditionally Prosecco, but you can use Cava or even Champagne) and peach puree.

This week, we're going to make some discoveries of our own and I'm using some of the WinoBee swarm as my muse. Sound fun?

To get things kickstarted, let's toast to a fun week with a classic Bellini recipe invented at Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy:

Ingredients

• 2 ripe peaches, peeled and pitted
• 1 bottle of sparkling white wine

Directions
1) In a blender, process the peaches until smooth.
2) Pour into a champagne flute about 1/4 of the way, then fill with the remainder with sparkling wine.