For your next dinner party, it’s time to step it up. Treating your guests to a luxury red wine is the mark of a generous host, and helps set the tone for an enjoyable evening. But if you want to host a dinner that is truly memorable, bring something different to the table, and travel round the world with one of these 5 gorgeous red wine cocktails.

No time to make it to the cellar in anticipation of the affair? Save time and hassle by shopping for red wine online, and you’ll discover exquisite varietals from all over the world at the click of a button, delivered straight to your doorstep and ready for a party.

Sparkling Red Wine

Sparkling red wine is an oft-overlooked variation, as all too often champagne pips the post for those special occasions. This time, why not try something different, and impress your guests with a nod to international traditions?

Sparkling shiraz is the drink of choice reserved for South Australians on Christmas Day, and its light-bodied, red fruit and cherry characteristics make for a more drinkable glass; less sweet and dry than its sparkling white counterpart. Lambrusco is an Italian sparkling red that makes for a good dessert wine when chilled, or you can add bitters and turn it into a Figurati, for something extra classy.

Pop some sparkling red at your next soiree, and you’ll find friends and family soon converted.

Francophile

Christmas may be over, and with it the season of warming Christmas tipples, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still savour the spiced flavours that are such a signature of this time of year. And why not start with this devilishly delicious twist?

Invented by Alex Day of Proprietors LLC, responsible for some of New York and LA’s hottest bars including ‘Death & Co’, the Francophile brings an added depth and richness produced by the addition of Calvados. The oakiness and apple flavour of this gorgeous French brandy melds effortlessly with the rich, dark fruit profiles of a Spanish rioja, and you’re left with a comforting melt-in-the-mouth feel that oozes velvety luxury.

To make it you’ll need a quality rioja, cinnamon syrup, fresh lemon juice, and some hot water – to dilute and lengthen the flavours. When serving for a larger group, keep the ingredients slow cooking over a gentle stove during the daytime, and you’ll double up with an inviting aroma weaving through the house.

Kalimotxo

This cocktail features just two accompaniments to your most beloved red, and it’s sure to raise some eyebrows and spark some heated debates. If you want your aperitivo to be a sure conversation starter, opt for the Kalimotxo.

In the Basque country of Northern Spain, a strong cultural tradition is to pair rioja with… Coca-Cola. Though it may seem nonsensical to mix a quality bottle with coke, the secret to achieving the perfect kalimotxo is to invest in your two sole ingredients, and thus unlock a sweetness to the wine that makes it easier to keep drinking, without diluting the flavour profiles.

Add a wedge of lemon and some ice, and transport your luxury dinner party to the Bay of Biscay. By the time warmer weather rolls around and you’re there for real, you’ll impress all the locals with your knowledge of traditional customs when ordering a kalimotxo at the bar – that is, if you can say it.

Devil’s Margarita

The hint is in the name, and to add some drama to this cocktail classic, a splash of red will do all the work for you. Craft your martini as standard, although we recommend choosing a blanco tequila. The young citrus and pepper notes will not distract from the addition of the wine in the way that more oaky, caramel flavours from aged tequilas may interfere. You also don’t need a salt rim – the acidity of the wine is bold enough.

Ensure you choose a long coupe or classic martini glass, to fully showcase the beauty of this drink. Pour your martini, then add a small drop of a full-bodied varietal, and watch it bleed through the syrupy liquor. Garnish with a dehydrated lime wheel. The devil’s margarita: a taste of opulence.

New York Sour

For whisky drinkers, the New York Sour is an urban update on an old favourite, the traditional Whiskey Sour, and it looks as marvellous as it tastes, with a red wine float that slowly trickles down the glass. Rumour has it the New York Sour was actually concocted by a bartender in Chicago in the 1980s, but one thing’s for certain – it brings a curl of decadence to any evening entertainment.

Shake your ingredients together with ice and serve in a rock’s glass, then pour over a dry fruity red; think Shiraz, Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon blends. Garnish with a lemon twist or dark cherry to compliment, and relish the smokey bourbon flavours colliding with a crisp fruit palette.

This eclectic mix of red wine cocktails should provide you with some excitement and inspiration of how to wow friends and family the next time you have people over for dinner. With drinks this good, who cares about the food?