White Peach & Vanilla Bellinis with Loose Leaf Gold

Kindi Lantz June 27, 2019

Vanilla Bean and White Peach Sparkling Wine Cocktail with Loose Leaf Gold

Why mimosas have become the most recognized brunch sparkling wine cocktail is beyond me. Sure, orange juice and Champagne is a delicious combination, but what about the French 75, sparkling sangria, or my personal favorite, bellinis?

Bellini’s are far superior to the average mimosa, in my opinion. There isn’t the harshness that is sometimes contributed by the acid in citrus and peaches possess a natural sweetness that balances well with the alcohol in sparkling wines. It makes for a much smoother sparkling brunch cocktail! 

I had some out-of-town guests over recently and wanted to treat them to something extra special, so rather than serve a typical bellini made with a bottled peach juice, I concocted a white peach and vanilla bean reduction and chose to use a sparkling rosé wine, rather than a Prosecco or Champagne. 

I wanted a bit of a sweeter morning beverage with low acidity this time around, so I used an Italian sparkling rose wine made from a red-skinned muscat grape, often referred to as Moscato. Moscato is one of those wines that seem to be either adored or despised, though, so should you fall in the latter category, opt for a dryer wine. Sparkling Pinot Noir Rosé is a wonderful substitute. It offers notes of summer berries without further sweetening the cocktail. 

Sparkling Rosé Cocktail with White Peach & Vanilla Bean and an Edible Gold Garnish

Ingredients:

2 white, ripe peaches

2 whole vanilla beans

3 teaspoons white wine vinegar

About ¼ cup water 

750 ml bottle of sparkling rose wine of desired sweetness 

Procedure: 

1. Peel and roughly chop peaches.
2. Remove the seeds from the vanilla bean pods.
3. Place the vanilla bean seeds, white wine vinegar, and peaches in a small saucepan and heat over low.
4. Cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally and adding the water a tablespoon at a time as the juice evaporates.  
5. When the peaches can be easily mashed with the back of a spoon, pull from burner to chill.
6. Place in a blender and purée until completely smooth.

Serving Suggestions: 

Place 1 tablespoon of the vanilla bean and peach purée into the bottom of a champagne flute. Fill the flute halfway with the sparkling wine and use the handle or a spoon or a chopstick to thoroughly combine the peach mixture with the wine. Fill the glass the rest of the way with more sparkling wine. Drop a few pieces of the loose leaf gold into the center of the glass to garnish. 

Note: You will likely have extra peach purée, depending on the size of the peaches you used. Refrigerate or freeze and use for more cocktails in the future.