Quality Control for Home Wine Coolers

Wine coolers you make at home will not only save money, but assure quality.

You can assemble the base of most all of the coolers given here well ahead and keep it on hand in the refrigerator for a few days to pour over ice cubes as needed.

ROSE APPLE COOLER

1 quart apple juice

3 cups rose wine

2 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup extra fine sugar

Ice cold club soda

Combine juice, wine, lemon juice, sugar and soda. Stir until sugar dissolves. Chill. Pour over ice cubes in tall glasses about 3/4 full. Fill to top with more club soda. Makes 12 servings.

BERRY BRANDY COOLER

1 1/2 ounces strawberry, raspberry or cherry brandy

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 cup cracked ice

Club soda

Lemon slice

Process brandy, lemon juice and ice in blender until ice is crushed medium fine. Pour into chilled 12-ounce glass and fill with club soda. Garnish with lemon slice. Makes 1 serving.

CITRUS KIR

1/4 cup cassis

1 1/4 cups dry white wine

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon sugar

Blend cassis, wine, lemon and lime juices and sugar. Chill well or serve over ice cubes. Makes 2 servings.

STRAWBERRY MUSCAT COOLER

2 cups Muscat Alexandria or other sweet white wine

2 cups strawberries

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 cup ice cubes

Combine wine and strawberries in blender and puree. Strain. Add sugar and lime juice to wine mixture and return to blender. Add ice cubes and blend until thick and frothy. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

ORANGE MELON COOLER

2 cups white Gamay Beaujolais

1 cup orange melon puree

2 tablespoons sugar

Juice of 1/2 lime

Combine wine, melon puree, sugar and lime juice and blend well. Chill thoroughly, or serve over ice cubes. Makes 3 servings.

KIWI COOLER

2 cups Chablis

3 very ripe kiwis, peeled and sieved

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon lime juice

Combine wine, kiwi puree, sugar, and lime juice. Chill well or serve over ice cubes. Makes 3 drinks.

ROMA SPECIAL

1/2 mango

3 ounces Asti spumante

3/4 ounce simple syrup

3 or 4 ice cubes

Combine peeled mango, wine, syrup and ice in blender. Process until mango is pureed. Pour into tulip glass. Makes 1 serving.

ORANGE COOLER

1 cup orange juice

1 cup Chenin Blanc

1 tablespoon sugar

Ginger ale

Combine orange juice, wine and sugar and blend well. Fill 4 tall glasses with ice cubes and divide orange mixture among them. Fill glasses to top with ginger ale. Makes 4 servings.