Dine & Cook | Alternative food journalism

We recently asked the folks at [yellow tail] what makes a great wine based cocktail.  We were looking for something exciting and fresh that could stand up to any mixed drink.  Even more important, we were looking for something sexy, more young people are drinking wine and we decided it was definitely time for a makeover.  

Before you cringe at the thought of putting ice in your glass of wine, think about this: we've been using wine in cocktails for more than a century.  Vermouth, the second ingredient in a classic martini, is a fortified wine flavored with aromatic herbs and spices.

[yellow tail] just wrapped up a nationwide wine cocktail contest and they put us in contact with the winners.  We asked each the following six questions.

1) When using wine as a base for a "cocktail" are there any special considerations that need to be made?

2) Are traditional wine pairings (ie fruit) a good place to start when creating a wine based cocktail?

3) Drinks mixed with wine used to have, for lack of a better term, "grandma" image, how is this image different and how are you combating it?

4) Which wines make a good base for a cocktail?  Can you mix multiple types of wine in the same cocktail? more than one wine?

5) Acid and bitter seem to be the latest buzz words in the cocktail community, can you incorporate these flavors into a wine based cocktail?

Editor's note: We asked the following question not to please the PR gurus, [yellow tail] is the number one imported wine in the United States and we honestly wanted to know why we should use their product.

6) Why does [yellow tail] make a good choice for a cocktail?  Are there any Australian inspired drinks that you can make with [yellow tail]?

The first place cocktail was created by St. Louis mixologist Ted Kilgore.  His “Summer Sage” cocktail blends a Sauvignon Blanc and sparkling white wine with ingredients like sage leaves, elderflower and grapefruit bitters.

Kilgore has become one of most recognized mixologists in the Midwest, and has been featured in national publications including Bon Apetit, The Wall Street Journal, and Imbibe Magazine. He is currently working at Niche Taste Bar in the Benton Park section of St. Louis.

"Summer Sage"

- 3 oz. [yellow tail] Sauvignon Blanc
- 3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 oz. elderflower liqueur
- 1/2 oz. Green Chartreuse
- 2 dashes Grapefruit Bitters
- 6-8 sage leaves
- 1 oz. [yellow tail] Sparkling White Wine

Preparation
In a mixing glass filled with ice, combine all ingredients except [yellow tail] Sparkling White Wine.  Shake vigorously for 20 seconds, then fine strain into a Wine Glass filled with fresh ice.  Top with [yellow tail] Sparkling White Wine.  
"Spank" the sage garnish by clapping it in between your hands to express its aroma, then place in cocktail to garnish. Serve in Wine Glass (approx 20 oz. size).

Second place was awarded to New York City bartender Brian Matthys for his "A Cautionary Tail” cocktail, a fusion of Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling with brandy, fresh mango and cardamom. The New Yorker currently tends bar at Izakaya Ten, a sushi and sake bar in Manhattan.