i drink a lot of weird french and italian, wine-based aperitifs (vermouths, campari, lillet, etc). they're a great, low-alcohol way to start the evening after work--much better, i think, than a cocktail (tho i do like my manhattans...). anyway, the french and italians use all the crappy white wine they produce (they produce great stuff, too... but LOTS of cheap, easy wine) as a base, then flavor it, usually with the addition of some grain alcohol or brandy (which is itself usually made from leftover crappy wine).

i came across a recipe for 'vin de pamplemousse' when i was trying to figure out what to do with the last bunch of grapefruits i had on hand. (people know i love grapefruits, so though i don't own a tree, i always have some--thanks mary & christine!) i'd eaten so many grapefruit that (seriously) i broke out in a rash. so, this recipe really got me excited. i made it about 5 weeks ago, and finally started to drink it this week. HOLY COW is it tasty! very very easy, and since i used cheap wine from a box (target!), very cheap, too. it'd make a great christmas present for people up north.

try it, if you're so inclined...

Here is a link that might be useful: vin de pamplemousse