White Wine Spritzer

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 07/20/22
Tested by
Sean Michael Johnson
Photo of Sean Michael Johnson
Tested by Sean Michael Johnson
Sean is an award-winning bartender with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He is the head bartender at the two-Michelin-star restaurant, Gabriel Kreuther, crafting cocktail menus that have caught international attention. To date, he has made over 1 million cocktails, and counting.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
White wine spritzer with ice, garnished with twisted orange peel and lime slice in wine glasses

The Spruce Eats / Abbey Littlejohn
Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
92 Calories
0g Fat
9g Carbs
1g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 92
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 6mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 19mg 97%
Calcium 34mg 3%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 131mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

The white wine spritzer is a classic drink and one of the easiest cocktails you can mix together. It requires just two ingredients and is a fantastic way to dress up and add sparkle to any white wine.

The key to a great spritzer is to make sure your wine and sparkling water are as cold as possible. This creates a refreshing cocktail that really opens up the aromatics of the wine. It can also make an otherwise not-so-impressive wine enjoyable.

The true beauty of the spritzer is that it will work with any white wine varietal you have on hand. Though riesling, pinot grigio, and sauvignon blanc are used most often, you'll also find that a chardonnay or gewürtztraminer is nice as well. While you can vary the ratio to fit your taste and a particular wine, it's often best to begin with a 3:1 pour of 1 part soda or water for every 3 parts of wine. 

The white wine spritzer is an uncomplicated drink, but it's also a nice foundation for a few enhancements. With the right garnish or some fruity ice, it can be just as impressive as any other cocktail.

"There are few mixed adult beverages that are more refreshing than this drink. This recipe (and its variations) will be an endless source of satisfaction. Be mindful of the wine that you choose. Pick a varietal that’s less dry with fuller fruit." —Sean Johnson

White Wine Spritzer Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 3 ounces chilled white wine

  • 1 ounce cold club soda, or mineral water

  • Lime wedge, or orange peel, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for white wine spritzer recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Abbey Littlejohn

  2. Fill a white wine glass or highball glass with ice.

    Wine glass filled with ice cubes

    The Spruce Eats / Abbey Littlejohn

  3. Pour in the wine.

    White wine being poured into a wine glass with ice

    The Spruce Eats / Abbey Littlejohn

  4. Top with club soda or mineral water.

    Club soda being added to white wine and ice in wine glass

    The Spruce Eats / Abbey Littlejohn

  5. Garnish with a lime wedge or orange peel. Serve and enjoy.

    White wine spritzers garnished with lime slice and twisted orange peel in wine glasses

    The Spruce Eats / Abbey Littlejohn

Tips

  • If your preference is dry wine, tonic water can bring balance to a wine that is simply too sweet to drink.
  • Club soda, seltzer, or soda are great choices for the spritz. There are many flavored seltzers on the market these days to choose from. Q Drinks and Fever-Tree are designed to be mixed into drinks, whereas ginger ale or a lemon-lime soda would sweeten up a wine, too.
  • Hard seltzers are popular alternatives to club soda; the light flavoring common in seltzers can be a nice complement to a variety of wines.

Variations

Change the flavor of your spritzer with ice. Here are some suggestions for add-ins and other ways to enjoy your wine spritzer.

  • Freeze herbs or edible flowers in your ice cube trays. Borage's delicate blue flowers look fantastic and add a hint of cucumber to the drink. Rosemary, lavender, and mint are delightful as well.
  • Frozen berries (or small berries frozen in water) are tasty additions. Freezing grapes offers a quick way to chill any wine spritzer with no dilution. Melon balls are also a fun option.
  • Stick a frozen fruit pop in your spritzer in the summer. The longer it takes to drink it, the more fruit will infuse into the drink. Use a glass wide enough to fit the ice pop and place it top-side down; the stick also lets you stir it. Berry, peach, and mango ice pops add a nice splash of flavor. For a boozy kick, you may even think about creating poptails for your spritzers.

How Strong Is the White Wine Spritzer?

The white wine spritzer is a very mild mixed drink. The only alcohol in it is wine, which tends to range from 8 to 14 percent ABV.


For example, when a 10 percent ABV wine is watered down in the spritzer, the drink will have an alcohol content around 6 percent ABV. It really is one of the gentlest drinks you can mix up.