"bellini" news and stories

If you haven't already read I have been to Italy. To the home of Prosecco to be precise, in the North East. Prosecco is both a grape and a style of sparkling wine and I am hooked, having previously ignored this classic Italian wine.

What I didn't realise was that the original Bellini was made with Prosecco and not, as I always believed, with Champagne. It was created in 1934 in Harry's Bar in Venice by Commendatore Guiseppi Cipriani and was named after the 15th century painter Giovanni Bellini who was the feature of an exhibition at the time. As it is beautifully hot as I write (and frankly I would rather be outside with a Bellini in hand instead of stuck in front of this flat screen) so a quick recipe...

Classic Bellini

• 1 1/2 shots fresh white peach puree
• top up with Prosecco

Pour ingredients into a chilled champagne glass and stir.

Sparkling wines and champagne are definitely the drinks of choice on New Year's Eve, but if you are dressed to kill there is no reason your cocktail shouldn't be, too. Adding strawberry puree to a classic Bellini in place of peach gives this drink a deliciously sweet taste and a beautiful color. For those who would prefer not to have any alcohol, you can use 7-up, sparkling cider or club soda instead.

Strawberry Bellini
1 1/2 ounces strawberry puree
5 ounces champagne

Pour strawberry puree into the bottom of a champagne flute. Top with champagne.

[Photo by Nicole Weston]