Champagne is frequently embellished with a few drops of this or that, but red and white still wines also lend themselves to the mixologist’s art. So do fortified wines like sherry, vermouth, and port.
You’ll also do well to remember that Champagne isn’t the first and last word in sparkling white wine. Cava (from Spain) and Prosecco (from Italy) are less bubbly than Champagne, but that’s actually a plus for some wine drinkers. Scout around and you’ll even find a bubbly red: sparkling Shiraz.
A note of interest: If this book had been published forty years ago, it probably wouldn’t include a chapter devoted to wine-based cocktails. Before 1970, Americans much preferred whiskey and beer over the fruit of the vine, and wine lovers often had to take along their own bottles of wine when dining out.