15 Best Drinks To Mix With Wine, Ranked

There are plenty of reasons why we love apple juice. Between all the health benefits — including hydration and healthy liver function, says Real Fruit Power — along with the juicy taste, apple juice is a stand-out all on its own. There's really no reason to do anything more to it — unless you're creating a cocktail. Apple juice has many pros, including the fact that it makes for a solid cocktail mixer (and not just with spirits, either).

Okay, we get that apple juice is not the first thing that comes to mind when making a wine-based drink, but hear us out. When you mix red wine and apple juice (and some fresh fruit), you can get a fruity concoction that resembles a sangria — only it's a whole lot easier to make. Real Simple suggests using sliced peaches and a medium-bodied red when you mix this baby up and then serve it over ice.

Some people enjoy drinking ginger beer on its own, while others prefer to mix it in a cocktail (or a cocktail on a stick). No matter your fancy, we get why ginger beer is so well-liked. According to A Couple Cooks, ginger beer has an intense ginger taste, but it is bubbly, keeping the drink light and tasty. It is also non-alcoholic, and all of these attributes make for a great mixer.

Mixing ginger beer with wine might sound strange, but it works. Also, it is incredibly simple to do as you don't need a lot of ingredients to make this drink come together. Opt for red wine, something like a Pinot Noir will do, and mix with ginger beer and ice. Food also recommends red wine and ginger beer make for a delicious summertime cocktail, especially when you add orange slices to the mix for a touch of citrus (an ideal refreshment after sitting in the summer sun).

Club soda is carbonated, according to Healthline, and therefore gives that fizzy kick we love in our refreshments (ahem, alcoholic beverages). It's also infused with a wide range of minerals, such as potassium and sodium chloride, which helps add a mild, salty flavor, says MasterClass. Between the bubbles and the taste, club soda is a go-to when it comes to making cocktails. Okay, we probably didn't have to sell you too hard on mixing club soda in a cocktail, but what about using it with wine? Yeah, that's what we thought. But really, it's kind of a perfect combination. 

The Toasty Kitchen explains that combining club soda with wine is a great drink for the warmer months because there's a touch of citrus that makes for an easy sip. It's also a quick drink to make when hosting a crowd. The key here is to use an aromatic white wine that stays on the palate even after the club soda is added. 

When we think of summer, we can almost taste a glass of ice-cold lemonade. It's the perfect combination of tart and sweet, via Serious Eats, tasting as though lemons have been freshly squeezed into your glass. And this drink has been around for as long as anyone can remember. Forgotten History states that lemonade goes back to medieval Egypt when a Persian poet apparently first wrote about it. Flash forward to the 1870s when people in the U.S. were encouraged to drink lemonade as opposed to anything with booze in it during what was called the "temperance movement." 

These days, lemonade can be enjoyed in many ways, including with booze, as opposed to being a solely non-alcoholic beverage. We say to get crafty with your cocktails and combine white wine with lemonade for a refreshing summertime sip. According to The Spruce Eats, adding Italian sparkling lemonade and mint will help turn this into a wine mojito. 

Did you know how versatile pineapple juice can be? Not only can it be used to make a classic fruit smoothie, but you can use it in plenty of dishes as well, including as a marinade for your favorite grilled meat. Pineapple juice has some great health benefits, too, including being a good source of vitamin C and copper, via WebMD. 

When it comes to cocktails, versatility may not be the first thing to come to mind, as everyone thinks they know what to do with pineapple juice: Put it in rum. Look, we like that, too, but sometimes we want to be a bit more playful with our fruity drinks. Try mixing pineapple juice with white wine for a different take on the more traditional rum cocktail. All Recipes explains to stick with a sweeter white wine, such as a Riesling, to have it taste like a refreshing glass of fruity sangria. Once you try it, you'll understand why we think it's one of the best drinks to mix with wine.

What do you get when you mix Coca-Cola with wine? Something seriously delicious. It's called kalimotxo, via VinePair, and it's been a favorite in Spain since the 1920s. However, it didn't become big until the 1970s when the stigma of mixing wine with sugary soda wore off, and it was officially introduced at a festival in the Basque Country. Today, the drink is pretty popular in Spain but also in the United States. Some bars even named their establishment after the drink (looking at you, Kalimotxo in Austin, Texas).

We have to say, we kind of get it. You only need two ingredients (red wine and Coca-Cola), so it's super easy when you're in a pinch. Plus, it's an actual cocktail and not something you just made up and hopefully tastes good. We already know it does. Take Two Tapas points out the flavor combination is perfect as the caramel notes from the cola help balance the tartness of the wine perfectly.

Chances are, if you have gone to a swanky cocktail bar known for its handcrafted concoctions, you have had a drink or two made with elderflower. This type of liqueur comes from the flowers of an elderflower bush, via Garnish with Lemon, and does not have any preservatives, which means its shelf life may not be as long as others. But, we think once you start using it in your cocktails, you will not be waiting for months to use it again. Taste Cocktails explains the overall flavor profile of elderflower liqueur is a combination of peach and pear, making it ideal for crafting mixed drinks.

Since this liqueur has a tasty profile of its own, you do not have to go overboard when adding additional ingredients to the mix. Try adding a dry sparkling wine, says St~Germain, which will make for both an easy and elegant sip.

We have to admit that we do love our orange juice. It quenches our thirst and goes great with eggs, but it is also a healthy choice that is loaded with cell-repairing vitamin C, via Organic Facts. Needless to say, we feel pretty darn good about drinking it, then. While all of these reasons are enough to enjoy a simple glass of OJ, it's even more iconic when served at brunch with a favored mix-in: Some bubbly, of course.

Orange juice is hands down one of the best drinks to mix with wine, and we think you'll probably agree (if you don't already). It's everyone's favorite brunch cocktail and incredibly easy to make. When looking for the right wine, Inspired Taste points out to shoot for a prosecco or a sparkling wine that is on the dryer side rather than using anything too sweet. The orange juice is all the sweetness you need.