Ingredients

250ml Sauternes or dessert wine
250ml cabernet sauvignon or dry red wine
50g caster sugar
vanilla pod
split, seeds scraped out
12 mint
leaves, roughly chopped, plus sprigs to serve
6 basil
leaves, roughly chopped
200g fresh raspberry
½ Charentais melon
scooped into 12 balls
200g fresh ripe strawberry
halved and quartered
50g wild strawberries
(optional)
100ml chilled pink champagne
to serve

Method
step 1
In a large saucepan, bring the two wines, sugar and vanilla pod to the boil. Put the mint and basil in the centre of a small piece of muslin and tie with string to make a bag, then add to the pan with a few turns of freshly ground black pepper.

step 2
Remove from heat and leave to come to room temperature. Remove muslin bag, add raspberries and the melon balls. Chill for at least 4 hrs.

step 3
About 2 hrs before you intend to serve the fruits, add the strawberries and wild strawberries, if using, to the syrup. Serve in a large serving bowl or four individual bowls. Pour about 2 tbsp of the pink Champagne over just before serving.