Simple sangria

June 29, 8:41 PMMiami Wine ExaminerAimee Youngs

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Real Sangria requires fresh fruit.  Many restaurants refuse to take the extra couple of minutes to dice up some fresh fruit, and use canned fruit cocktail instead.  What makes Sangria so refreshing is a variety of fresh fruits, marinated in Sangria wine.  The only exception is the pineapple, which may be canned, because the sweet juices from canned pineapple are a good compliment to the Sangria.

Traditionally, Sangria has been enjoyed in Spain for at least a couple of hundred years, but was introduced to the U.S. at the World’s Fair in New York City in 1964.  This punch makes for a perfect drink for backyard BBQ parties on warm sunny days.

Simple Sangria
Servings: 16-20 glasses

1.5L Sangria Wine, such as Carlo Rossi
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1-14 oz. can diced pineapple, with juice
1 small orange, seeded and thinly sliced
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup soda water

• In a large bowl, add all ingredients except soda water, and stir well.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to sit warm for 2 hours to begin the marinating process.
• Refrigerate covered overnight.
• Stir in soda water just before serving.
• Pour into a large pitcher and serve over glasses of ice.

Experimenting

It is not absolutely necessary to use Sangria as the base wine.  Sangria is just a bright and fruity wine which better compliments the added fruits and brandy.  In Spain, Sangria was originally made with common Spanish red wines, such as Rioja.  As it became more popular throughout Europe, Sangria was often made with Bordeaux wine from France.

It can be a fun, and even more refreshing change of pace to make a White Sangria or ‘Sangria Blanco’, for those extra hot days when clear drinks make for good thirst quenchers.  Instead of Sangria wine, use a dry white wine such as Chablis.  The canned pineapple may be replaced with 1 diced fresh peach.  The Spaniards also used their crisp sparkling wine Cava for their Sangria Blanco.  Since Cava already provides the bubbles, no extra soda is needed.

If you prefer to experiment, just use your favorite fresh fruits in place of the ones listed here.  Other fruits that are great in Sangria include diced red apples, diced pears, lemon or lime slices, tangerine slices, or halved grapes.  Use your imagination to create your own personal unique Sangria every time.  It really is that simple.