Christmas is just around the corner, and what better way to start the meal than with a festive, gourmet aperitif? Here's a selection of vegetarian recipes that will make your guests melt.

It wasn't until 1919, though, that Aperol made its debut in Padua. The recipe for the orange-coloured aperitif took the Barbieri brothers seven years to perfect – and remains intact to this day.

She recalled her epiphany occurred while sipping the French aperitif at Angèle, a restaurant that sits along the Napa River. And immediately, she asked herself, “What would I do differently if ...