Moldovan Ripe Plum and Honey Wine Spritz with Garden Basil

Combine the quartered plums, honey, water, lemon zest strip and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 8 ripe dark plums, pitted and quartered
• 3 tbsp honey, preferably acacia
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) water
• 1 strip lemon zest, peeled with a vegetable peeler
• 8 fresh basil leaves, plus 4 sprigs for garnish
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup (240 ml) dry white wine, chilled
• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) chilled sparkling water
• Pinch of fine sea salt
• Plenty of ice cubes
• 4 plum wedges, to garnish

Instructions

1. Combine the quartered plums, honey, water, lemon zest strip and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
2. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, pressing the fruit against the side of the pan with a spoon, until the plums have completely collapsed and the liquid is a deep ruby syrup.
3. Take the pan off the heat, tear in the eight basil leaves, and let the syrup steep for 15 minutes as it cools. Any longer and the basil turns grassy and bitter.
4. Strain the syrup through a fine sieve into a jar, pressing firmly on the solids to extract everything, then discard the pulp and zest. Stir in the lemon juice and chill the syrup until cold, at least an hour.
5. Fill four tall glasses to the top with ice. Pour three tablespoons of the plum syrup into each.
6. Add a quarter cup of the chilled white wine to each glass and stir briefly with a long spoon to marble the syrup upward through the ice.
7. Top each glass with the sparkling water, poured slowly down the side of the glass so the bubbles survive. Give one short stir only.
8. Garnish with a plum wedge on the rim and a basil sprig pressed against the ice, and serve immediately while it is still fizzing.
9. Moldova has one of the oldest continuous winemaking cultures in Europe and orchards of plums to match, with the two often ending up in the same glass by late August. The trick here is treating the plums as a cooked syrup rather than muddled fruit, which pulls out color and depth the raw fruit cannot give. The basil is a garden-season liberty, but its faint anise note lands squarely between the honey and the wine.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 180 kcal
• Protein: 1g
• Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 30g
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 26g
• Sodium: 45mg