Sangria Summer Nights

For years, my summertime ritual has been to have a glass or two of sangria while sitting on my patio on those warm evenings with friends. Sangria is a wine-based punch that originated from Portugal and Spain. Sangria is usually made from red wine, sliced citrus fruit, sugar, and a spirit such as brandy, Grand Marnier, or triple sec.

The fruits used can vary from recipe to recipe. Most common are oranges, lemons and apples, but pineapple, mango, peaches, cherries and even melon can be used to create truly unique flavored sangria. Before adding ice and the carbonated liquids, it is important to mix all the fruit and other ingredients together and let it sit eight hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Doing this allows the wine and fruit flavors to meld together to enhance the overall flavor of the finished sangria.

For your next summertime gathering, enjoy a refreshing glass of sangria! 

Tropical Sangria

This sangria recipe maximizes the fruit content and adds a new twist, using a white wine, instead of the traditional red.   

Ingredients:

1 bottle of your favorite white wine (you can also use red wine)
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1 orange, cut into wedges
1 lime, cut into wedges
1 fresh peach, cut into wedges
1 cup strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup lemonade or limeade
1/2 cup sugar
2 shots of apricot, peach or berry flavored brandy
2 cups ginger ale

Optional: 1 can of diced pineapple pieces with juice

Directions:

Pour wine in the pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges of lemon, orange and lime into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds) and add sliced peaches, strawberries, limeade or lemonade, sugar and brandy. Chill overnight. Add ginger ale and ice just before serving. If you’d like to serve right away, use chilled white wine and serve over plenty of ice.

For further information about wine, visit www.WineWebber.com.

Written by Ken Finnigan
Printed June 2007
Web August 2007