Being a writer for Hoboken Life is certainly a tough existence, especially when you’re forced to attend parties where you have free cocktails and finger foods forced upon you, as recently happened when Castello del Poggio threw a party at the W Hotel in Hoboken recently to celebrate the release of their new “Sweet Collection” of wines. If the name Castello del Poggio is familiar, it might be because they currently offer the best-selling Italian Moscato in the U.S. at a time when Moscato is rising in popularity, in part due to the wine’s popularity among A-list rappers like Drake. When your product is being mentioned in every other song on the charts, the time is ripe to expand—and that’s exactly what Castello del Poggio is doing. They’re leveraging the popularity of their Moscato to launch their Sweet Collection, adding four more sweet Italian wine varieties—a Rosé, a Rosso Dolce, a Prosecco, and a sparkling Moscato. To get the word out, Castello del Poggio took over the Lulu's nightclub at the W Hotel for a cocktail party—because their sweet wines are for far more than dessert.

The Wine Cocktails

Now, I’m not much of a sweet wine drinker, and like a lot of people I tend to associate sweet wines with dessert wines. What I learned at the Castello del Poggio party was that their new Sweet Collection doesn’t have to be sipped on its own—thought they are delicious—but can be the basis for a wide range of crisp, light, refreshing summer cocktails. These wines are low alcohol and combine well with a big list of mixers and are meant to be served chilled—all the ingredients for the sort of cocktail you can sip all day long while grilling in the backyard or hosting a party on your deck. Naturally, we were given the opportunity to try a bunch of cocktails made from Castello del Poggio’s Sweet Collection. Our favorite? The Eternal Brunch: Eternal Brunch

• 3 oz Castello del Poggio Rosé
• 1 oz distilled gin
• 1/2 oz lychee liqueur
• 1/8 oz Velvet Falernum
• 1/2 oz lemon juice
• 2 dashes Peychaud's Bitters

Served over ice with a twist, that is one delicious cocktail, kids. Another fave was the Guilty Pleasure, made with Castello del Poggio Prosecco, sake, and blackberry puree, also served over ice with a twist.

Summertime and Chill

I’d never considered sweet wine as a cocktail base before, to be honest, beyond the traditional forays into mimosas and other champagne-based “brunchy” drinks. I have to admit that Castello del Poggio is onto something here with their “sweet life” marketing, as the summer is the perfect time to ditch heavier drinks in favor of something light and cooling like these. So, if you’re curious about Moscato or other sweet wines, or looking to augment your cocktail game, check out the new Sweet Collection from Castello del Poggio. Because if they can convince this whiskey-loving Hobokenite to try sweet wines, there must be something to it all.

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