The Bellini: Venice in a Glass | Sophie's Trophies Wine Education

Right then, darlings, let's talk about the Bellini – quite possibly the most elegant way to start a Saturday morning or toast a summer soirée. This peachy stunner was born in 1948 at Harry's Bar in Venice, created by the legendary Giuseppe Cipriani. He named it after the 15th-century Venetian painter Giovanni Bellini, whose work featured the same delicate pink hues found in white peach flesh. Très romantique, non?

Now, here's the thing about a proper Bellini – it's not just any fizzy peach drink. The original calls for white peaches (not yellow), fresh purée (not tinned muck), and Italian Prosecco (nothing else will do). It's a study in simplicity, but like all Italian classics, the quality of your ingredients is absolutely everything. Get this right, and you'll be sipping liquid sunshine. Bollocks it up with supermarket peach schnapps, and you might as well be drinking sangria from a box.

The Method (Keep It Simple, Gorgeous)

1
Prep your peaches: If using fresh peaches, blanch them briefly in boiling water (about 30 seconds), then plunge into ice water. The skins will slip right off – très satisfying. Remove the stones, roughly chop, and blitz in a blender until completely smooth. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve if you're feeling fancy (I always am).
2
Chill everything: Your Prosecco should be properly cold (6-8°C), and pop your champagne flutes in the freezer for 10 minutes beforehand. A warm Bellini is like a lukewarm kiss – thoroughly disappointing.
3
Build the drink: Pour your peach purée into the chilled flute first. Now here's where people get it wrong – they pour the Prosecco in a great glugging rush. Don't do that. Pour slowly and gently down the side of the glass, letting the bubbles naturally mix with the purée. You want a gradient effect, not a volcanic eruption.
4
Give it a gentle stir: One delicate swirl with a bar spoon to marry the flavors. You're not making a milkshake, darling.
5
Serve immediately: The Bellini waits for no one. Those bubbles are precious – drink up while they're still dancing.

Choosing Your Prosecco

Listen, you don't need to remortgage your flat for this, but you do need decent Prosecco. The original Bellini uses bone-dry Prosecco to balance the peach sweetness. Look for bottles labeled "Brut" or "Extra Dry" (confusingly, Extra Dry is actually slightly sweeter than Brut – blame the Italians for that linguistic quirk).

Food Pairings

The Bellini is traditionally a mid-morning or early afternoon cocktail (the Italians know how to live, don't they?). Pair it with:

Fun Facts & Cocktail Wisdom

Cheers,

Sophie