Sangria!
It’s the end of May and the weather is already heating up! The bird feeders are a popular visiting spot for hungry birds, the river and creeks are overflowing, trees have budded, and my vegetable garden is planted. It feels time to rotate my cellar from reds to whites as I now imagine myself sipping white wine looking over the lake rather than indulging in a rich red next to my fireplace to stay warm. But that doesn’t mean my red wines are left only for the occasional sip this summer.
Sangria is a wonderful twist on such a classic and popular wine. Spanish in origin, it seems as though long ago some Spaniards were wrestling with what to do with their vats of red wines while they waited for their whites to mature. I imagine as they endured the Spanish heat on the Mediterranean coast, they came up with a new twist; a drink we call Sangria.
Sangria is a red wine base with added chopped fruit, a sweetener like honey, sugar, or syrup and another liquid such as Sprite. A splash of brandy and other spices are often added as well. You can imagine the variety and combinations of these elements are as numerous as the varieties of red wines available. Use your favorite fruits to make your own style, or try this recipe I found at allrecipes.com. Try using as many fresh herbs and fruits from your garden as possible for the best flavor; and of course, you could always substitute white wine or champaign in place of the red wine.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup
brandy - 1/4 cup
lemon juice - 1/3 cup
frozen lemonade concentrate - 1/3 cup
orange juice - 1 (750 milliliter) bottle
dry red wine - 1/2 cup
triple sec
- 1
lemon, sliced into rounds - 1
orange, sliced into rounds - 1
lime, sliced into rounds - 1/4 cup
white sugar
(optional) - 8
maraschino cherries - 2 cups
carbonated water
(optional)
Directions
- In a large
pitcher or bowl, mix together the brandy, lemon juice, lemonade
concentrate, orange juice, red wine, triple sec, and sugar. Float slices
of lemon, orange and lime, and maraschino cherries in the mixture.
Refrigerate overnight for best flavor. For a fizzy sangria, add club
soda just before serving.
