The Calimocho – the Spanish secret – Spain’s favorite summer cocktail, aka “Tinto de Verano”, aka wine and coke.

Recipe : 1/2 red wine + 1/2 coke = the winning combination of just sweet enough and zing!

However for some reason, this same mix, in Asia is often consider the ultimate faux paus (only for those with not so exquisite pallet)…but hey, when it is impossible to pair all your dishes with one wine - what else are you suppose to do?  Even wine critic and author of  ”The World Atlas of Wine”, Jancis Robinson, switches wine off with water when eating Chinese.  In my mind I am thinking – so why would you even bother, just get the water instead, and drink wine later at a dessert bar when eating a dessert that will go with your wine.

In Mocambique, Africa, the same coke and wine mix is called “Katemba” and in Córdoba Argentina it is common to mix white wine with sprite or 7UP and it is called “Champagne Cordobés”.  In Paris, France you mix champagne with orange juice and it is called Mimosa…so my take is, if people have no problem mixing Veuve with orange juice (and frequently 100% from concentrate – not even freshly squeezed!) why not red wine with coke? Is it because coke is not a fruit? Since mixing red wine with brandy and fruit juice is as delicious as Sangria gets.  However, buying a really expensive bottle is probably not the smartest thing.

Donna L.

After being required to wine and dine her clients in the United States, Donna begin obsessing over showcasing great wine from the United States. Donna focuses on finding those unique gems that "exceed their value." No matter the price, she believes you can find a great bottle, and her goal is to find those bottles for you.

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