Sangria – The Other Use For Red Wine

This past weekend I hosted a company cook-out at my home, and amidst the burgers and hot dogs and beer, I also made a pitcher of Sangria.  If you’ve ever been to an Italian restaurant you’ve probably seen Sangria on the drink menu, and if you’ve never ordered it before, I would highly recommend it.  

While no two places are going to serve Sangria exactly the same, there are some similarities between them all.  They will all use some type of dry red wine, preferably a table wine (no point to using a $40 bottle of Bordeax to make Sangria), and there is typically some type of fruit juice, be that from actual fruit or some type of fruit juice.

For my Sangria I started by having my wife slice up some oranges, lemons, and limes (I was using a larger bottle of wine, so I used extra fruit, but for a standard 750ml bottle of wine, one of each is plenty), then added the bottle of wine, Korbel brandy, a splash of triple sec (Gran Marnier is a great way to upgrade this), and a splash from a bottle of Sangria mix (not necessary, but it adds good flavor and can be found in the wine section of most grocery stores).

Some people will add soda water or some variety of lemon/lime soda to add a bit of fizz to the Sangria, but I passed on that and simply threw in some ice and set it in my fridge to chill for a few minutes before serving.  Served over ice, this Sangria was refreshing on a warm Spring day and went well with everything we were eating.  

While most of us move towards the lighter, sweeter wines as the seasons turn warm, Sangria is a great way to continue to enjoy red wine even as the thermometer starts to push into triple digits.

My Sangria Recipe

Slice up the fruit (wedges or wheels), squeeze and drop into a pitcher.  Add the bottle of red wine and then add triple sec and brandy to taste.  Add Sangria mix to taste, no more than 1/4 of the bottle.  Add ice, chill and serve over ice. 

The beauty of Sangria is the experimenting, so grab the ingredients, add some, take some out, and mix it up to your taste…just remember to write down the recipe if you find one you really like.  Enjoy!