I always thought that aperatif was a sweet alcoholic drink served during dessert.  For example, port wine or grappa.

What you describe sounds like appetizers or hors d'ouvres, which are my favorite part of the meal!  Some favorites:

- Spinach rounds (puff pastry topped with spinach and cheese mixture then rolled up and cut into slices that are then baked)
- Endive leaves stuffed with shrimp salad
- Slices of baguette topped with herbed butter and radish slices
- Phyllo triangles stuffed with ricotta and fig jam.

Hi n°1,

Apéritif at the origine was a drink to open the appetite such as an 'anis'...pastis.

copied from the web...
The apéritif indicates par extension la light meal which can precede a meal. It includes a light snack, among which the most classical are pistachios, potato chips or peanuts. By extension, l 'apéritif applies in all food (small cakes, serrated fruits, olives, meat products, tapas, cheeses and other various honouring assortments in l 'imagination) which are served as an accompaniment of this drink.

In restaurants an apéritif more than often means a drink before the meal, some restaurants will also serve some small savoury's with it.

When I get back to entertaining, I'm going to serve some of these:

Dates wrapped in Pancetta
Vegetable Sushi
Mini homemade fruit cocktails with exotic tropical fruits and local fruits
Smoked salmon rolled up around a few fine sprouts wrapped in shaved cucumber ribbons, drop of sour cream on top capped with one caper
Marinated Olives - California style
Bolhinos de Bacalau with piri piri sauce
Smoked Trout with lime and cream cheese, red and orange bell pepper rings served with crackers
Tiny triangles off piadella (sp?)  with various toppings - roasted bell pepper, salami, and olive oil
Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

With certain guests who come ravenous, we serve a small assiete plate with a pretty arrangement of salad ingredients and lemon wedges, smoked salmon with baguette as a sit-down starter.

Kye, you made me hungry!

At our last curry party we had slices of Samosa Studel and Sekt...Sekt für Alles