The From Sunday Winemakers guide to the perfect Spritz. Why Prosecco is the most important part and some of our favourite recipes.
You're at your favourite restaurant. You're with your best friends. You're excited.
You look around the room. You notice the bartender bringing someone a big glass of deliciousness. Ice, bubbles, the vivid colour, a wedge of fruit, perfect condensation dripping down.
Round of Spritz to start? Who would say no?
It's one of the most satisfying drinks ever invented. And yet, so many spritzes fall flat.
The reason? Almost always the Prosecco.
When the spritz revolution really kicked off about 10 years ago in Australia the biggest complaint we heard from bartenders was about the quality of Prosecco available. Most of it was super commercial, cheap and cheerful stuff from Italy. Full of sugar and not much flavour.
When you are making a cocktail it's all about balance and too much sugar can make something go form delicious and refreshing to cloying and gross very quickly. Get it right, and every sip is clean, bright, and endlessly drinkable.
In a good Spritz, The Prosecco is doing the heavy lifting. It brings the bubbles, the acidity, the freshness, and the backbone that holds the whole drink together.
That's exactly why we made Palloncino Prosecco.
We spent time with the best bartenders in Sydney and Melbourne, people who make hundreds of spritzes a week, to understand what they actually want in a base wine. The answer was consistent: dry, lively, with fine persistent bubbles and enough fruit character to complement bitter aperitifs without competing with them. So that's what we made. Palloncino is crafted specifically to be spritzed. It's now one of our most popular products and you can find it in bars and restaurants all over Australia.
The Classic: Aperol Spritz
You know this one. There's a reason it took over the world.
What you need:
- 90ml Palloncino Prosecco
- 60ml Aperol
- 30ml soda water
- Ice
- Orange slice to garnish
How to make it:
Fill a large wine glass to the top with ice. Add the Aperol first, then the Prosecco. Pouring over the back of a spoon keeps the bubbles intact but only if you can be bothered. Top with a splash of soda, give it the gentlest stir, and finish with a fat slice of orange.
The classic 3-2-1 ratio gives you a nice balance of bitter, fresh and not too sweet. Personally I like a little extra aperol or even swap the apperol for something like Vermouth or any other bitter apéritif.
The Margarita Spritz
What you need:
- 90ml Palloncino Prosecco
- 45ml tequila (blanco)
- 30ml fresh lime juice
- 20ml soda water
- Salt
- Ice
- Salt rim + lime wheel to garnish
How to make it:
Run a lime wedge around the rim of a large wine glass and dip it in flaky salt. Fill with ice. Add the tequila, lime juice, and a pinch of salt, then pour the Palloncino slowly over the top. Finish with a splash of soda and garnish with a lime wheel.
The Prosecco lifts the whole drink — you get all the citrus and tequila bite of a classic margarita but lighter and more sessionable. The salt adds that little something something. Perfect for a long afternoon.
Coastal Spritz
This is what happens when you ask Australian bartenders to riff on the classic for our climate, our food, and our way of drinking.
What you need:
- 90ml Palloncino Rose Prosecco
- 45ml Lillet Blanc
- 30ml fresh grapefruit juice
- 20ml soda water
- Ice
- Sprig of rosemary and a grapefruit twist to garnish
How to make it:
Fill a large glass with ice, the bigger the better. Add the Lillet Blanc and grapefruit juice, then pour the Palloncino Rose slowly over the top. Add the soda, lightly stir, and garnish with the rosemary sprig and a twist of grapefruit peel.
It's lighter and more floral than an Aperol Spritz, better suited to a long afternoon than a quick pre-dinner drink. The rose adds a hint of red fruit, strawberries and raspberry whilst the grapefruit and Lillet bring a gentle bitterness that lets the Prosecco shine.
Palloncino Prosecco is available now in the From Sunday shop, and it ships free on orders over $100. If you're stocking up for a long weekend or an afternoon with friends, grab a case and get 20% off!