Fun Stuff Friday- Kickin' it for the weekend with sangria

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July 12, 12:53 AM

by Leslie Cramer, Wine Examiner

 

 

 

Sangria’s origins are all but lost to the haze of time.  That said, we know nonetheless it is based on the traditional red wine and fruit punch that has been popular in Spanish speaking cultures—as well as across most of the rest of Europe—for hundreds of years.  Sangria’s popularity hit the United States at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York.

Sangria, originating in Spain, gets its name from the Spanish word sangre, which means ‘blood.’   It is made by infusing red wine (or white, for a different recipe entirely) with fruit and sometimes spirits, usually brandy. 

The majority of wine-drinking European cultures have created numerous ways to blend the concoction of wine, fruit, sugar and spices, along with the addition of liquor.  This generally served dual purposes: to give it more of a kick and to disguise the taste of low-quality wine.  It has shifted nowadays; in that the ingredients are added to complement better wines rather than mask wines of lesser quality. 

Sangria recipes abound in and around Spain where every region as well as every bar has its own recipe for the punch.  Traditional, classic sangria is made with quality Spanish red wine, preferably rioja.  Contrary to that, regions in and around Barcelona (Penedes) use sparkling white wine—cava--to concoct sangria blanco.  Sangria is called ‘zurra’ (short for ‘zurracapote’) in southern Spain where peaches and nectarines are added instead of the traditional citrus fruits.

For the purists out there, to formulate your own sangria, try a rioja from the wine region Ribera del Duero to get the genuine Spanish flavor.  When it comes to adding the fruit, go with seasonal fruit along with preferred personal tastes.  Bear in mind the flavors that are already in the wine and balance them with the added fruit.  Apples, pears, grapes, and berries all work well with both red and white sangrias; citrus fruits (oranges, lemons) pair better with just red sangria. 

Key in making and serving homemade sangria is allowing time for the wine, fruit, brandy, and other ingredients to blend with each other.  Combine your recipe the day before (all except the soda, which should also be chilled when later added to the mixture.)  Put it all in a large covered jug of some sort and chill overnight.  Just before serving, add the chilled soda to the wine-fruit mixture.  Put it all into a large punch bowl with a large floating block of ice. 

Check out these two simple sangria recipes, a red- and a white-.  Both are simple to prepare, and feel free to get creative when it comes to “the additives.”

Sangria Blanco-

2 jugs (1.5 liter) white wine

1 liter ginger ale (for a sweeter taste) OR 1 liter club soda (a little drier), add when serving

1 cup peach brandy

sliced peaches and pears

½ cup or so sugar if desired

Chill mix overnight, add chilled soda, serve in large punchbowl with floating big block of ice and as a really cool additive--and to keep the mix cold--add frozen white grapes.  Lessen the amounts proportionally if necessary if you are serving a smaller crowd.

Sangria (red)

2 jugs (1.5) red wine (or 4- 750’s rioja)

1 liter club soda or sparkling water (add when serving)

½ cup brandy

1 or 2 cups of orange juice (or a ½ to 1 block of frozen concentrate)

sliced apples and oranges

½ cup sugar or so if desired

Chill mix overnight, add chilled soda and some freshly sliced fruit, serve in large punchbowl with large block of ice.  Again, lessen the amounts proportionally if you are serving a smaller crowd.

Sangria is the perfect summer sipper.  Its easy to make and easy to drink and an ideal quaffer for those “not into wine.”  Recipes for the blend are wide and varied and it may take many attempts (aw, shucks…) to find your ideal combination as long as you start with the basics:  wine (red or white depending on your tastes), soda or juice of some kind, brandy, and seasonal fruits.  Salud!

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