It’s officially summer drinking weather, and that means garden cocktails, rooftop parties and drinking by the pool. Champagne and prosecco-based cocktails pair especially well with a warm, summer breeze. Something about the bright sun makes bubbles so appetizing—especially after the last year.
This summer calls for a celebration, and Chandon hopes to be a central part of your soiree. You’re familiar with the worldly company’s sparkling wine, but this summer, it delves into a totally new category with the Chandon Garden Spritz; a pre-made, sparkling, ready-to-drink aperitif.
Common in northeast Italy, a traditional Aperol spritz is made of prosecco, Aperol and soda water. The Chandon Garden Spritz is inspired by this refreshing summer cocktail, but with a Chandon twist. Handcrafted by the company’s wine making team in Argentina using locally-sourced and hand-picked Valencia oranges, fresh herbs and spices. Each ingredient is heavily influenced by the region's love of bitter-lending drinks: think yerba mate and Fernet.
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The zest and peels from 2.5 tons of fresh, local oranges are imbued with rarefied botanicals. The resulting “Garden liqueur” is then blended with premium chardonnay, pinot noir, and semillon grapes from the Chandon estate. The result is a bubbly, refreshing sip that reflects the familiar taste of Chandon as well as the Argentian landscape.
Because it lacks artificial flavors and coloring, the Garden Spritz is less sweet and a bit more bitter than a traditional Aperol spritz. The color is a muted pink compared to the bright orange normally associated with the classic. The flavors blend effortlessly to create what Garden Spritz creator Ana Paula Bartolucci calls “summer in a bottle.”
“The Chandon Garden Spritz is a natural extension of the pioneering spirit embedded in Chandon's DNA since its founding in Argentina in 1959," Bartolucci says. "We spent four years studying oranges as if they were wine grapes and finally mastered a perfectly authentic, naturally delicious spritz."
The bottle is designed with summer parties in mind. Just unpop the cork and serve over ice. We recommend a sliver of orange or sprig of rosemary to garnish.
The Chandon Garden Spritz is available now at select retailers and via the company’s website.
Photography by: Courtesy Chandon
