Fall White Wine Spritzer Recipe

White wine spritzers are not just a drink for summertime. This refreshing and simple combination of white wine and soda water is endlessly customizable, meaning that you can incorporate fresh, flavorful, seasonal elements, making it a drink that can be enjoyed all year round.

This fall white wine spritzer recipe, from the kitchen of recipe developer Jennine Rye, takes a humble beverage often considered to be uncool and gives it a stylish autumn upgrade with the help of quinces and cardamom. This perfect but slightly unusual flavor pairing is created by stewing diced quince with cardamom pods, sugar, and lemon peel to make a beautifully floral, sweet, and spiced syrup, which we use as a base for our fall-themed spritzer. 

The great news is that this recipe gives you 1 full cup of quince and cardamom syrup, so you can make plenty of white wine spritzers to enjoy through the fall months. Alternatively, you can enjoy the syrup served simply with sparkling water or lemonade, as an addition to other cocktails, or drizzled over cakes, waffles, yogurt, or any autumnal-themed desserts you might rustle up. Read on to find out how to whip up this fall white wine spritzer recipe in your own kitchen, and celebrate some of the more unusual flavors of autumn.

To begin this fall white wine spritzer recipe, first you will need to gather the ingredients. For the quince and cardamom syrup, you will want quince, water, granulated sugar, lemon peel, and cardamom pods. To assemble the white wine spritzer, you will additionally need ice cubes, Lillet Blanc, Chenin blanc or a similar white wine, and soda water.

To make the syrup, add the prepared quince, water, sugar, lemon peel, and cardamom pods to a saucepan.

Bring to a boil and then simmer gently until the quince are fork-tender. This can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 45 minutes, depending on how ripe your quince are, so check regularly.

Strain the syrup through a muslin, allowing the quince half an hour or so to fully strain through.

Refrigerate the quince-cardamom syrup until ready to use.

To make the white wine spritzer, first add the ice to a large wine glass.

Add 1 ounce of quince cardamom syrup and the Lillet Blanc to the glass.

Pour the white wine into the glass.

Top off with the soda water.

Garnish and serve.

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If you happen to have stumbled upon a quince tree without knowing what this fruit is, you would be forgiven for thinking that quince are a slightly misshapen type of apple or pear. Although there is quite a lot of similarity between the quince and its fruity cousins, it is a beautiful and distinctive fruit in its own right, identified by its rich yellow skin, characterful shape, and wonderfully unique floral, sweet scent. In fact, this fruit has such a particular and delightful aroma that it was commonly used in perfumes as far back as Ancient Greek and Roman times.

While quince was once a widely consumed fruit, considered to be more popular than the apple for many centuries, you'll be hard-pressed to find any in your local supermarket nowadays. This may well have something to do with how tough many varieties of quince are to peel and prepare, and while these beauties are magnificent to consume when cooked, they can be unpleasant to eat raw. They are well worth the extra effort though, and once you've enjoyed the unique sweet and floral flavors of the quince you'll see what all the fuss is about. Once you've made this recipe, you'll notice that you've got stewed quince leftover from the syrup-making process. This can be enjoyed simply with a spoonful of ice cream or added to your porridge in the morning. Alternatively, you may wish to make membrillo — a delicious quince paste that works wonderfully on a charcuterie board.

We can't get enough of the flavors of fall, and if you are anything like us, you'll want to maximize on all things autumn while 'tis the season. This white wine spritzer can be adapted in any number of ways, according to your personal preferences and your preferred fall flavors. If you enjoy your drinks a little sweeter, why not swap out the soda water for a lemon-lime soda instead? Alternatively, a dash of ginger beer will add both sweetness and a warming hint of fall spice.

We recommend using a white wine such as Chenin Blanc or Chardonnay for this white wine spritzer, as both are slightly more robust and work well with the other elements of this drink. However, you can feel free to use whichever white wine is. The Lillet Blanc gives this spritzer a hefty nod to autumn with its piney notes, but this can be swapped out for other fall-inspired spirits such as spiced rum or pear vodka. If you want to ramp up the fall flavors even further, why not garnish your white wine spritzer with a cinnamon stick or a star anise for added spice?

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