Bezel Wines is putting its bottles to work on the stove this fall. The California brand released four seasonal cocktail recipes today, built around warm spice, orchard fruit and preserves, and aimed at sweater weather and the holiday hosting season.
Bezel entered the market in 2022 as a Central Coast label from Cakebread Cellars, the family-owned Napa Valley winery with a 50-year history, according to the company’s own materials. The lineup covers Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. As Shanken News Daily reported at the national rollout, the wines are sourced from the Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo Coast appellations, with Chardonnay and Cabernet priced at $25 and $30 respectively at launch. Cocktails are a natural extension for a brand that has built its pitch around everyday drinking.
Bezel Wines Turns Chardonnay Into a Chai Latte Alternative
The two Chardonnay recipes cover both ends of the thermometer. Fireside Chat is the warm one. It combines 3 ounces of Bezel Chardonnay with 2 ounces of apple cider, 1 ounce of chai tea and a tablespoon of lemon juice. The mix is heated gently in a small saucepan, never boiled, then poured into a heat-safe stemless glass or handled mug and finished with a cinnamon stick and thin apple slices. The brand describes it as a drink for anyone who cannot decide between a chai latte and a glass of wine.
Orchard Mule goes the other direction. It takes 4 ounces of Chardonnay, 1.5 ounces of pear nectar and 2.5 ounces of ginger beer, poured over ice into a copper mug or a large stemless glass. A fresh sage leaf is the garnish, with candied ginger as an option. It is a mule in structure, but the pear and sage move it away from the lime-and-vodka template.
Bezel Wines Cabernet and Pinot Noir Get Preserves and Spice
The red wine recipes lean on jam-jar shortcuts. Winterberry Wassail starts with a tablespoon of blackberry preserves and up to an ounce of blood orange juice, or a blood orange and cranberry blend, stirred together until the preserves loosen. Four ounces of Bezel Cabernet Sauvignon and ice follow, then an ounce of club soda, an optional dash of bitters, and a cinnamon stick and orange peel on top. The juice amount is adjustable for sweetness.
Thyme Well Spent applies the same method to Pinot Noir. Fig preserves and lemon juice are stirred together, a thyme sprig is lightly pressed to release its aroma, and 4 ounces of Pinot Noir and ice go in before a splash of club soda. The brand pitches it as a savory option, best with company and time to spare.
None of the four recipes calls for a cocktail shaker or specialty spirits. The brand also noted that many of the drinks can be batched for gatherings, which fits the holiday window these recipes were timed for.
Wine cocktails have become a regular feature of seasonal drink menus, and brands are increasingly writing their own recipes instead of leaving the mixing to bartenders. For Bezel, the approach keeps its Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet at the center of the glass while giving hosts a reason to open a bottle before the table is set. As the holiday calendar fills, the test will be whether these drinks make it from a recipe card to an actual party.
