There something terribly sophisticated about the spritzer, that x-factor that seems to make it the drink of choice of suave, stylish types hanging out at cocktail lounges and swanky sidewalk cafes...

It's the spritzer's unpretentious simplicity that makes it so desirable, too ? no gaudy umbrella-and-pineapple garnishes here. But there's also an art to making this tall, chilled drink customarily made with wine and soda water. And any dedicated or regular spritzer drinker will furrow their brows at you if you dare to assume that you can use just any kind of white wine, let alone boxed wine...

Obviously, the spritzer is much, much lighter than your average glass of white wine, meaning you can guzzle a whole lot more on balmy spring afternoons without needing a nap straight afterwards. It's also delightfully refreshing on hot days and nights, and will help you keep your cool without adding on the calories.

How to make the perfect spritzer...

You will need:

  • Your choice of wine
  • Soda water

    Fill a tall, Collins or wine glass with ice.
    Fill 3/4 with Wine.
    Fill rest with soda.
    Garnish with a twist

    Recommended wines to use:

    Always go with a good, quality wine ? you might be watering it down, but you'll still get to taste it. A good wine will make all the difference, making your spritzer a drink to sip and savour...

    Try the following newly released wines:

  • Fleur du Cap?s new-style Chenin Blanc 2002 - A superbly balanced wine aged in new American Oak and French Oak, with delicate flavours of butterscotch, melon, apricot, peaches and honey.
  • Groote Post's unwooded Chenin Blanc 2003 - a wonderful wine with concentrated guava and fruit salad flavours on the palate with a pleasantly lingering, spicy finish.
  • Long Beach Cafe Sauvignon Blanc 2002 - clean, crisp and dry, perfect for a really refreshing spritzer.
  • Walker Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2003 - a delicate, balanced Sauvignon Blanc by winemaker Peter Finlayson with more tropical than grassy flavours.
  • Nederburg Lyric - you can't go wrong with this classic blend from Nederburg!

    Calories in Wine Spritzer
    (Please note: all calorie values are approximate)

  • One regular sized wine glass of wine contains about 80 calories.
  • One large sized wine glass of wine contains about 100 calories.
  • One large glass of light wine contains about 80 calories.
  • One tall glass (such as a Collins glass) of wine spritzer contains about 120 calories.
  • A wine spritzer with 60 ml of wine and 180 ml of soda contains about 40 calories.
  • A white wine spritzer with 120 ml white wine topped with soda - 80 calories.