The Bellini – a Taste of Italy

It wouldn’t be summer in Venice without Bellinis, the classic blend of peach puree and prosecco created at Harry’s Bar, Venice.

And, whether you’re holidaying in Italy this summer or staying at home and dreaming of sunshine, say the folk at luxury holiday specialist Exsus, Bellinis are easy enough to make at home.

Bartenders tend to buy in white peach puree, from commercial vendors like Funkin, but it’s easy enough to make your own. Just peel and stone white peaches, then run them through the blender.

To serve, add a hefty slug to the bottom of a chilled champagne flute and top with Prosecco, NOT Champagne. Best enjoyed, when not in Venice, in the garden.

Where did the Bellini come from?

Well, the name comes from the Italian painter, Giovanni Bellini, who used a range of rich pinks in his work.

And it sits alongside the raw beef dish carpaccio as one of two iconic recipes created by Giuseppe Cipriani, the man who started Harry’s Bar.

Harry’s Bar itself, of course, wouldn’t exist without Harry Pickering, a young American who was sent to Italy with a maiden aunt to dry out and mend his wayward ways. The aunt acquired a toyboy, Harry continued to drink, and the pair were left high and dry.

Harry turned to Giuseppe, then a bartender at the Hotel Europa, to help him out with a loan, which Giuseppe duly did.

Long after he’d given up his money as gone for good, Pickering returned, repaid the loan with interest, and Giuseppe set up a bar named in his honour.

Since then, stars from Hemingway to Elizabeth Taylor to Woody Allen and Nicole Kidman have enjoyed Bellinis in Harry’s Bar, and, whether you’ll be enjoying Venice in the summer or saving it for the less pungent spring, a Bellini will encapsulate it for good.

Hung up on champagne, rather than prosecco? Opt for a Mimosa, made with fresh fruit juice, fruit liqueur and champagne, in the flavour of your choice.

Picture credit: Adrian Scottow.