Rose

This cocktail takes all the best elements of a margarita—tequila, citrus, and sugar—and combines them with the dry, summery fun of rosé.

Chanterais melons, also called Cavaillon, are a delicious alternative to cantaloupes. Look for them at farmers’ markets and gourmet stores.

There are fruit people, and there are chocolate people. Even chocolate people will lick their plates clean when presented with a refreshing, lemony panna cotta strewn with wine-steeped peaches. Panna cotta makes a nice spring and summertime dessert because it’s not so rich that you leave the table feeling stuffed, and the lemon verbena adds a welcome, herbaceous tang. This dish is perfect for company because the panna cotta must be made ahead, and the peaches “cook” while coming to room temperature.

This jolly beverage gives "fruit cocktail" a fun new meaning.

Brush against a lemon verbena plant and its long, narrow leaves will release a transcendently clean, lemony scent. A little of the herb goes a long way, and it plays well with both ripe summer fruit and the light dryness of rosé. All the elements come together here in a suave gelée.

Rosé wine with fresh fruit adds the right touch to this spiced-up menu.

These tiny birds, stuffed with creamy goat cheese, make fun yet elegant turkey stand-ins. Since the quail are small and there's not much meat on each one, plan on serving guests two to three per person, and encourage them to chew the meat off the bones rather than trying to cut it off with a knife and fork.

This gelée contains a fair amount of rosé wine, so you may want to steer children toward the playing card cookies and other desserts. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 10 hr