Ingredients for 6 people:1 bottle dry sparkling wine
10 ml water35 g cane sugar5 fresh mint leaves (plus 12 small ones to put in the glasses)1 untreated lemon300 g cantaloupe melon flesh
Put a small heavy-bottomed saucepan on the stove with the water, 5 mint leaves, sugar and lemon peel. As soon as it starts to boil, turn the heat off, cover with a lid, and set aside to infuse and cool down. In the meanwhile, cut the melon flesh into small pieces, blend and pour the resulting purée into a large jug. Add the mint and lemon syrup, filtered through a sieve, stir, and put it in the fridge for at least an hour. When you’re ready to serve the aperitif, take the jug out of the fridge, tilt it and pour in the well-chilled sparkling wine a little at a time. Stir gently with a long-handled spoon, taking care not to agitate the mixture too much so the wine doesn’t lose its effervescence. Serve immediately in champagne flutes, adding a few ice cubes and 2 or 3 mint leaves in each one.
In Tuscany, the cantaloupe melon is also called “popone”. This name derives from the Latin “pepon”, which in turn comes from the Ancient Greek "pépōn" (πέπων), originally meaning “sun-ripened” or “ripe”, in reference to the fruit’s sweetness and ripening process.