Vineyard Punch

Most entertaining in Iceland is of the small dinner party variety & punch is not an esp favored beverage unless being served to a large crowd. That said, I found this recipe in my MasterCook computer program & the National Pork Producers Council was acknowledged, although I fail to see the connection. It did sound good to me, so I decided to share it & hope it will prove a good choice for 1 of your occasions. Enjoy! (Time does not include chill time).

• Ready In: 15 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 16 5 oz servings

Ingredients

• 1 (750 ml) bottle port wine
• 2 (16 ounce) packages frozen unsweetened strawberries (slightly thawed)
• 1  sprig of fresh mint
•  sugar, to taste
•  lime slice
• 2 (750 ml) bottles  dry  sparkling wine
• 1  dash  bitters

Directions

1. Combine 1st 3 ingredients w/sugar & lime slices in large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat & simmer 5-10 minutes.
2. Remove from heat & cool. Strain into large bowl, cover & chill for at least 1 hour.
3. Pour over ice mold in punch bowl, add sparkling wine + bitters & serve immediately in wine glasses.
4. NOTE: Yield was based on 2 5-oz servings per person.
5. SERVING IDEA: I hate waste & think it would be a good idea to reserve the strawberry solids strained from the simmered wine, puree them w/an immersion blender or food processor & freeze the puree in an ice cube tray to use in place of the suggested ice mold. :-).