Recipes & Food Styling

The perfect icy cold wine cooler for National Pollinator Week!

“Worry the bottle, Mama, it’s grapefruit wine!” – Steely Dan

“No static at all…” when I hear those lyrics!  Just the first few chords of the song FM take me back in a flash to my “wonder years” in the late 1970s. Life never got any better. Our dreams were endless and everything seemed possible. Those late summer nights in the air condition-less kitchen making pizza with Dad and those countless afternoons soaking up the sun at the swimming pool down the street.

This icy cold wine cooler was inspired by those good memories. It’s perfect for National Pollinator Week because it has a bit of honey in it.

I’ve been finding really fabulous, fresh and luscious grapefruit at Whole Foods in Naperville lately, and each glass of this sangria gets fresh, delicious juice from a 1/4 of a grapefruit. The pulp is so good and ideal in summer in this drink!

Grapefruit provides potassium, fiber, calcium, magnesium, Vitamin B-6 and tons of Vitamin C. So good for you!

I get dwarf snapdragon flowers from Pedal Pushers Garden Center  in Channahon each year, and they are perfect as a colorful garnish in this sangria.

A splash of ginger ale gives it a tiny bit of spiciness and a little zip.

I’ve got the drink figured out, but still trying to find out what “Worry the bottle Mama” means! If you know, please let me know! 

Grapefruit White Wine Sangria

Makes 1 drink

1/2 cup ice

1 cup Chardonnay wine

Juice from 1/4 large grapefruit

1 cup ginger ale

1 teaspoon honey 

Place ice in glass; add wine, grapefruit juice (and pulp), ginger ale and honey. Stir and add garnish.