Bellini
Alessandro Scire CalabrisottoShare
Soft pink, gently sparkling and unmistakably Italian, the Bellini is elegance in a glass. A simple marriage of white peach purée and chilled Prosecco, it carries the romance of Venice in every sip. Few drinks feel so effortlessly sophisticated while remaining so wonderfully easy to enjoy — which is precisely why it has charmed drinkers for the better part of a century.
History of the Bellini
The Bellini was created at the famous Harry's Bar in Venice, where founder Giuseppe Cipriani is credited with inventing it sometime between the 1930s and 1940s. Cipriani combined fresh white peach purée with sparkling wine, producing a drink whose delicate rosy hue reminded him of the colour found in a painting.
He named it after Giovanni Bellini, the celebrated fifteenth-century Venetian painter, in tribute to the soft pink tones associated with his work. Harry's Bar was already a magnet for writers, artists and travellers, and the Bellini quickly became one of its signatures. Its fame spread internationally, and today it is enjoyed far beyond the canals of Venice while remaining forever linked to that legendary address.
Recipe: How to Make a Classic Bellini
Ingredients:
- 50 ml (1.75 oz) white peach purée
- 100 ml (3.5 oz) chilled Prosecco
Instructions:
- Prepare a smooth white peach purée and chill it thoroughly; pass it through a sieve for an extra-silky texture.
- Spoon the chilled peach purée into the base of a cold flute.
- Top up slowly with chilled Prosecco, pouring in stages to prevent it from foaming over.
- Stir very gently to combine the purée and the wine.
- Serve immediately, while the bubbles are at their liveliest.
Tips for Perfection:
- Use white peaches where possible — they give the authentic delicate flavour and pale colour that define a true Bellini.
- Keep both the purée and the Prosecco well chilled so the drink stays crisp and refreshing.
- Pour the Prosecco slowly in two or three stages, as peach purée can cause it to foam up quickly.
Additional Recommendations
Variations:
- Rossini: swap the peach purée for fresh strawberry purée.
- Puccini: made with fresh mandarin or tangerine juice instead of peach.
- Tintoretto: a version built on pomegranate juice for a deeper, ruby colour.
Pairings:
- Light antipasti such as prosciutto and melon.
- Delicate seafood like oysters or carpaccio.
- Fresh fruit and soft pastries at brunch.
Presentation:
- Serve in a chilled Champagne flute to showcase the soft colour and rising bubbles.
- Keep garnishes minimal — the gentle peach blush is the star.
Curiosity: A Fun Fact About the Bellini
The Bellini owes its name to fine art. Giuseppe Cipriani thought the drink's delicate pink shade echoed the colour of a saint's robe in a painting by the Venetian master Giovanni Bellini — so he named the cocktail in the artist's honour, sealing the link between Renaissance painting and one of Italy's most beloved aperitifs.