The first Bellini I ever drank was courtesy of my best friend Rose. If I can remember correctly, she ordered the peach puree online after enjoying a Bellini somewhere on a business trip. Wow, it was wonderful, and as a champagne lover I was thrilled to be introduced to this refreshing drink!

One of my favorite Bellini memories was several years ago at the Davenport Hotel bar in Spokane, Wash. Some guy seated across from me order a Bellini. What I great idea, I thought – the drink looked wonderful and I was impressed with the robust pour. When the bartender brought me mine, I was told that the reason for the good pour was because the guy across the bar worked at the Davenport. The bartender didn’t want me to feel cheated, but said to expect a smaller glass on future visits. I tipped him well, needless to say.

Since fresh peaches are currently abundant, I decided it was time to whip up a batch of Bellinis to enjoy in the hot summer heat. I found a great recipe by Bobby Flay – he adds a twist to this cocktail by adding vanilla bean, which intrigued me. Since I love his Vegas restaurant and margaritas (check out my blog post about Mesa Grill) I decided to give it a go. He uses a sparking rosé in his recipe, but I replaced it for the more traditional Prosecco. I will try this with the rosé next time.

Ingredients

• ½ cup sugar
• ½ vanilla bean, split and seeds removed
• 3 ripe white peaches, peeled and cut into pieces (reserve a few slices for garnish)
• 1 bottle Prosecco, the colder the better (I put it in the freezer for ½ hour or so)

Preparation

Combine the sugar, 1/2 cup of water, vanilla bean and seeds in a  saucepan and bring to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat. Discard the vanilla bean. Refrigerate for a couple of hours until the mixture is cold.

Place the chopped peaches in a food processor and add the sugar mixture. Puree until it is smooth.

Place the puree in a pitcher. Slowly add the Prosecco and gently  stir. Pour into champagne flutes, and garnish as desired. I just used some peach slices, mint also works well. Serve immediately!

This is a great twist on a more traditional Bellini. Love the addition of the vanilla – it pairs nicely with the peaches.

Eat, drink and be merry!