Bellini Recipe: How to Make a Classic Peach Prosecco Cocktail at Home

What Is a Bellini?

A Bellini is a classic Italian sparkling cocktail made with Prosecco and white peach purée. It is usually served in a chilled flute glass or Champagne glass.

The drink was created by Giuseppe Cipriani at Harry’s Bar in Venice in 1948. According to Cipriani, it was inspired by the colour of paintings by 15th-century Venetian painter Giovanni Bellini.

A good Bellini should taste:

• Fresh and peachy
• Lightly sweet
• Softly sparkling
• Clean and fruity
• Balanced between peach and Prosecco

Bellini Recipe

This recipe makes one serving.

Ingredients

• 100ml chilled Prosecco
• 50ml white peach purée
• Optional: small squeeze of lemon juice if the peach purée is too sweet
• Optional: peach slice for garnish

Method

1. Chill your flute glass or Champagne glass.
2. Add white peach purée into the chilled glass.
3. Slowly pour chilled Prosecco over the peach purée.
4. Stir gently with a bar spoon to combine.
5. Garnish with a peach slice if desired.
6. Serve immediately while cold and sparkling.

For a classic benchmark, you can compare this with the official IBA Bellini recipe, which uses Prosecco and white peach purée.

Quick Answer: How Do You Make a Bellini?

To make a Bellini, add 50ml white peach purée into a chilled flute glass. Slowly top with 100ml chilled Prosecco, stir gently, and serve immediately.

Best Prosecco for Bellini

The best Prosecco for Bellini is fresh, crisp, and not overly sweet. Since peach purée already adds fruit and sweetness, the sparkling wine should keep the drink balanced.

Choose a Prosecco or sparkling wine that is:

• Chilled before serving
• Fresh and fruity
• Not too sweet
• Clean on the finish
• Suitable for brunch or aperitif-style cocktails

You can browse sparkling wine options here: Sparkling Wine Collection.

You can also browse Champagne and other celebratory bottles here: Champagne Collection.

Can You Use Champagne Instead of Prosecco?

Yes, you can use Champagne instead of Prosecco, but the taste will be different. Champagne is usually more complex, more acidic, and more structured. Prosecco is often softer, fruitier, and easier to mix with peach purée.

Use Prosecco if you want a classic Bellini style. Use Champagne if you want a more premium and sharper version.

How to Make White Peach Purée

Fresh white peach purée gives the most natural Bellini flavour. However, if white peaches are not available, you can use ripe yellow peaches, peach nectar, or quality peach purée.

Simple Peach Purée Method

1. Peel and slice ripe peaches.
2. Remove the stone.
3. Blend the peach flesh until smooth.
4. Strain if you want a smoother texture.
5. Chill the purée before using.

If the purée is too thick, add a small amount of chilled water. If it is too sweet, add a small squeeze of lemon juice. Avoid adding too much sugar because Prosecco and ripe peach should already give enough fruit sweetness.

Fresh Peach Purée or Peach Nectar?

Fresh peach purée is best for a classic Bellini. It gives better texture, fresher aroma, and a more natural fruit taste.

Peach nectar is easier to use and more convenient when fresh peaches are not available. However, it can be sweeter and thinner than fresh purée.

Use fresh peach purée if you want:

• A more natural flavour
• Better fruit texture
• A more classic Bellini style
• Less artificial sweetness

Use peach nectar if you want:

• Faster preparation
• Consistent sweetness
• Easier party serving
• No blender required

Should a Bellini Be Shaken or Stirred?

A Bellini should not be shaken. Because it contains sparkling wine, shaking will remove the bubbles and may cause a messy overflow.

Instead, pour the peach purée into the glass, add chilled Prosecco slowly, and stir gently. This keeps the drink light, sparkling, and fresh.

Bellini Taste Profile

A Bellini should taste fresh, fruity, and softly sparkling. It should not taste heavy, syrupy, or overly sweet.

A good Bellini should be:

• Cold
• Peach-forward
• Lightly sparkling
• Fresh and fruity
• Softly sweet
• Easy to drink

If your Bellini tastes too sweet, use drier Prosecco or add a small squeeze of lemon juice to the peach purée. If it tastes too sharp, use riper peaches or slightly more purée.

Bellini Variations

Once you understand the classic recipe, you can adjust the Bellini based on your taste, fruit availability, or occasion.

Classic White Peach Bellini

Use white peach purée and chilled Prosecco. This is the traditional and most elegant version.

Yellow Peach Bellini

Use ripe yellow peaches if white peaches are not available. The flavour will be slightly richer and more tropical.

Rossini

Use fresh strawberry purée instead of peach purée. The IBA lists Rossini as a Bellini-style variation using fresh strawberry purée.

Puccini

Use fresh mandarin orange juice instead of peach purée. This gives the drink a brighter citrus profile.

Tintoretto

Use fresh pomegranate juice instead of peach purée. This creates a deeper colour and more tart fruit profile.

Frozen Bellini

Blend frozen peach slices into purée, then top gently with Prosecco. This version is colder and more suitable for hot afternoons.

Non-Alcoholic Bellini

Use peach purée and non-alcoholic sparkling grape juice or soda water. This creates a peach mocktail version for guests who do not drink alcohol.

What to Serve with Bellini

Bellini is a natural brunch and aperitif cocktail. It pairs well with light, fresh, and slightly savoury food.

Good food pairings include:

• Smoked salmon
• Bruschetta
• Cheese platter
• Fresh fruit
• Eggs Benedict
• Seafood salad
• Prosciutto and melon
• Light pastries
• Roast chicken sandwiches

For home entertaining, serve Bellini as a welcome drink, brunch cocktail, or celebration drink before a meal.

Common Bellini Mistakes

1. Using warm Prosecco

Bellini should be served cold. Warm Prosecco makes the cocktail taste flat and less refreshing.

2. Shaking the drink

Do not shake a Bellini. Sparkling wine should be stirred gently so the bubbles remain in the glass.

3. Using overly sweet peach nectar

Too much sweetness can make the drink feel heavy. Use fresh purée or choose a less sweet peach nectar.

4. Pouring Prosecco too quickly

Pour slowly to prevent overflow and keep the texture smooth.

5. Using too much purée

Too much peach purée can overpower the Prosecco. A 2:1 ratio of Prosecco to peach purée is a good starting point.

Where to Buy Prosecco and Sparkling Wine for Bellini in Malaysia

If you want to make Bellini at home, the key bottle you need is Prosecco or a fresh sparkling wine. A crisp sparkling wine keeps the drink light, fruity, and refreshing.

At Blue Ocean Wine House, you can shop authentic sparkling wine, Champagne, white wine, red wine, whisky, cognac, gin, vodka, rum, tequila, liqueur, and other alcoholic beverages online in Malaysia.

Explore related categories:

• Buy Sparkling Wine Online in Malaysia
• Shop Champagne Online
• Shop Wine Online
• Shop Spirits Online
• Shop Liqueur Online

Note: Alcohol is only for non-Muslim customers aged 21 and above in Malaysia. Please drink responsibly. For general responsible drinking guidance, you can refer to DrinkIQ.

Frequently Asked Questions About Bellini

What alcohol is used in a Bellini?

A classic Bellini uses Prosecco, an Italian sparkling wine. It is mixed with white peach purée.

What is the best Prosecco for Bellini?

A fresh, crisp, and not overly sweet Prosecco is best. Peach purée already adds fruit sweetness, so the Prosecco should keep the drink balanced.

Can I use Champagne for Bellini?

Yes, you can use Champagne, but Prosecco gives the more classic Bellini style. Champagne usually tastes sharper and more complex.

Can I use peach nectar instead of peach purée?

Yes, peach nectar can be used when fresh peach purée is not available. However, fresh peach purée gives better texture and a more natural fruit flavour.

Do you shake a Bellini?

No. A Bellini should be gently stirred, not shaken. Shaking sparkling wine removes the bubbles and can cause overflow.

What glass should I use for Bellini?

A chilled flute glass or Champagne glass is the classic choice. A wine glass can also work for casual home serving.

Is Bellini a strong cocktail?

No. A Bellini is lighter than many spirit-based cocktails because it uses sparkling wine instead of vodka, gin, rum, or tequila.

Can I prepare Bellini in advance?

You can prepare and chill the peach purée in advance, but only add Prosecco when serving. This keeps the drink fresh and sparkling.

Final Takeaway

A great Bellini is simple, fresh, and elegant. Use chilled Prosecco, smooth white peach purée, and a chilled glass. Pour slowly, stir gently, and serve immediately.

For a classic version, start with 100ml Prosecco and 50ml white peach purée. From there, adjust the fruit level based on your preferred sweetness and texture.

Ready to make your own Bellini? Shop sparkling wine, Champagne, wine, liqueur, whisky, gin, vodka, rum, tequila, and other authentic alcoholic beverages online at Blue Ocean Wine House.