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What better way to welcome the summer heat than whipping the tropical cocktails out! This pineapple sangria is the best exotic touch to spice up your sunny season – adding a mixture of one of our top locally produced Pinot wine and the refreshing, flavorful taste of seasonal fruit.

 

This cocktail holds true to traditional sangrias by having wine as its main foundation but incorporates a different twist with its use of tropical pineapple and citrus fruits. This recipe may be enjoyed on any occasion and paired with numerous meal choices to fulfill your satisfactions and evoke the feeling of a paradise getaway.

 

Without further ado, it’s time to grab your Lebanese Pinot from the fridge and get to making this simple recipe. Here’s all you’ll need:

 

• 750 mL Pinot wine
• 2 cups pineapple juice
• 1 cup orange juice
• 24 oz Sprite or lemon lime soda

 

 

Sit back, relax, and let the drink do the talking!

There is an abundance of spirits that are made locally here in Lebanon that have become very famous and a staple in some people’s houses. Besides the Lebanese wineries (since they make the best wine for Lebanese food), there are also some other drinks to be enjoyed after relishing in your meal.  

As a digestive, it’s good for you to go for a nice whiskey, a neat Cognac or a marvelous Brandy.   

Cognac and Brandy are often mistaken for one another. This is mainly because they look the same, they’re both made from distilling wine and because it’s often repeated that “every cognac is a brandy, but not all brandy is a cognac” which leaves people wondering what that means exactly. That’s where the confusion settles in but here’s a short spirits session that could benefit everyone.

 

 

For starters, Brandy, put very simply, is a distilled spirit made from fermented fruit juice; whether it be grapes, apples, pears- that’s Brandy for you. You may be wondering how it differs from wine when it’s done with grapes- the answer is quite simple; it’s all in the distillation process. The latter concentrates the wine which in turn increases the alcohol content in the beverage all while removing some or most of the water present in the grape!

Brandy is most preferred and better enjoyed when aged in wooden barrels just like our own Katy from Batroun does it for 10 years in French oak! This makes for a smoother, softer and sweeter drink as you still get hints of fruitiness and tartness.

Now onto Cognac- it is a specific type of Brandy. It is probably the most well-known and esteemed type of Brandy. Just like its name suggests, it is only specifically made in the Cognac region in France. However, its place of origin is not the only characteristic that makes it what it is. In fact, it must follow strict rules such as the fact that it can only be distilled from white grapes; it has to be distilled twice between October 1 and March 31 according to French law and aged for a minimum of two years.

One grape; two sensations 

Pinot Gris is befitting for all wine lovers. It is compelling to all taste buds and satisfactory to all cravings.  

The essence of this wine is that it comes in two forms; sweet and dry. Having mastered the art of creating both from a single white grape, the Pinot Gris is truly unique and special.

This ability relies on the fermentation process. The sweet wine requires a shorter process thus retaining residual sugar and the dry one entails a longer one resulting in less sugar.  

To offer you a guide to an exquisite-feeling palate, here is what we simply recommend: If you’re seeking a honeyed, floral taste then you should aim for the sweet Pinot Gris. Whereas if your taste buds are looking to be nicely refreshed and beautifully attacked then the dry Pinot Gris is definitely the way to go.

 

Take your pick depending on your mood but it is guaranteed that won’t be disappointed either way. Pop open your favorite bottle from Chateau Khoury coming to you straight from the lovely city of Zahlé.

PS: Pinot Gris is splendidly paired well with Lebanese Food.

 

 

That’s is why we wanted to showcase this wine today - It’s a wine that makes us proud of our land, our expertise and our passion!

Discover it HERE!

We love this wine as it combines the unique aromas of leather, prune, dark forest fruits and tobacco. 

Aged for 12 month in French Oak barrels with an earthy texture, it moves with vibrant acidity and powerful, well-structured tannins.

 
Wine is the only living beverage and fermentation, a natural process is behind this beneficial drink. It is loaded in antioxidants and when consumed moderately, can strengthen your immune system, promotes a longer life span, protects against certain cancers, improves mental health, provides benefits to the heart, reduces the risk of depression specially when paired with the right foods and music, it could make you instantaneously more relaxed. Within a balanced diet plan, wine could curb your sugar cravings and assist weight loss.

 
Heart Healthy

• Wine dilates arteries and increases blood flow thus lowering the risk of the kind of clots that cut off blood supply and damage heart muscles.

• Drinking wine in moderation could lower bad cholesterol levels and increase good ones (HDL). Phenols found in wine limit the oxidation of LDL’S making them less capable of damaging the lining of arteries thus reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

• Phenols also play an important role in slowing the growth of some cancer cells and Resveratrol (an antioxidant) in wine has specifically been found to slow the growth of liver cancer cells.

• A glass of red wine has been found to curb sugar cravings and increase levels of the good cholesterol (HDL). Moreover, a Harvard University study of 20.000 women found that those who drank half a bottle of wine a day had a 70% reduced risk of obesity compared to nondrinkers!

• Red wine is loaded with antioxidants and Resveratrol- “an ingredient that increases gene expression that enhances the oxidation of dietary fats so the body won’t be overloaded. Resveratrol converts white fat into beige fat which burns lipids off as heat, helping to keep the body in balance and prevents obesity and metabolic dysfunction”

 
Avoid drinking if you’re under 18 Years old!
Your body will be less well equipped to cope with the effects of alcohol, physically and emotionally; your liver is not fully developed and neither is
your brain!
 
- Dietitian Nicole Maftoum