Pfirsichbowle (German Sparkling Peach Wine Punch)

May marks the beginning of Bowle season in Germany, and is heralded in with a holiday (May Day). During May, and throughout the summer, you will start to see Bowle served in the restaurants and at fairs. Bowle is a strong wine & fruit punch that comes in many varieties. Use the best quality wines you can afford (as long as you think they taste good is all that matters - not the price tag). In Germany, you can buy Bowle sets - decorative glass pitchers or punch bowls with small cups and picks (the picks are for spearing the fruit). Watch out - this punch packs a wallop - and the fruit is always the best part. Plan ahead - the sugared fruit needs to macerate overnight in the fridge. The serving size is really a guess.

• Ready In: 24 hrs 1 min
• Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 4  medium  peaches, pitted
• 4 -6  tablespoons sugar, to taste
• 4 (750 ml) bottles  qba riesling wine, chilled (very good quality)
• 1 (750 ml) bottle  sweet  champagne (good quality) or 1 (750 ml) bottle  sweet sparkling wine, chilled (good quality)

Directions

1. Sliced peaches and drop into a pot of boiling water for a few seconds- just to blanch them so the skins will come off easily, not to cook them.
2. Pull off the skins and set them in the bottom of your bowle pitcher in a layers, sprinkling with sugar for each layer (one peach per layer)-amount is to taste, but probably 1 rounded Tbsp per peach is a good guess.
3. Cover and chill bowle pitcher 24 hours.
4. Have a decorative bowl filled with ice that your bowle pitcher will sit in to keep cool.
5. Nestle the bowle pitcher in the ice bed and pour in the chilled wine and the champagne.
6. Stir gently with a ladle and serve.