Whether you drink it red, white or rose, sangria is of Spanish and Portugal origin and is kind of like a punch. It combines wine and chopped fruit often with the extra addition of (any or all of) flavoured liqueurs, fruit juice, sweeteners and sparkling water. It's one of those drinks you can keep simple or go all in with, depending on your tastes.
What wines to use?
If making red sangria, use dry, fruit wine with good acidity and low tannins. Look for a grenache, merlot, tempranillo or even a pinot noir. For white sangria, use a dry, crisp style such as chardonnay, pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc or riesling. And if making a rose sangria, look for characteristics similar to those in a white; dry and crisp.
Georgie Orbach is a rad Melbourne based vino, super
budget friendly & great to drink.
Fruit?
Anything you have on hand can be used. Look for something that complements the wine you have chosen. For red sangria, go for more robust fruit such as apples, pears, oranges, for rose and white you can go for pineapple, peaches or nectarines. These are not hard and fast combinations or rules though, if you only have apples and are making white sangria, use apples!
Liqueurs?
What is in your liqueur cabinet?! Because chances are you can use that. More traditionally it would be a brandy or cognac, maybe a fruit schnapps but you can find any number of recipes using alternatives such as vodka, bourbon, cointreau, rum and so on. Again, use what you have that makes sense with your wine.
Other bits?
Throw in some orange juice or sparkling water to lower the alcohol percentage because when you keep topping the jug up, things can get wild! Drink sensibly people!
Alternatively...
You can buy it premade! Yeah for us lazy gals!!!! (if you aren't lazy, at least pretend you are so I feel better please!)
Spanish classic, Australian made.
Bella Sangria is another rad Melbourne based biz doing 3 varietals of sangria in cans along with the classic red in bottles. Partnering with organic vineyard Mount Avoca has meant Daniel, and Mount Avoca's Matthew, have been able to produce a sangria of incredible quality. The classic Bella SangrÃa Red is infused with oranges, lemons and cherries. Bella SangrÃa Rosé is infused with mixed berries, peaches and hibiscus, and Bella SangrÃa White, infused with limes, apples and mint. How delish do they all sound?!
Buy online (you can click on the above pics to go straight there) or go here to find their stockists.
Accessories to drink your sangria with...
The acrylic jug and matching glasses are from the gorgeous Gypsy and the Bowerbird. The vintage glasses from beloved Nabulani and the candle is part of Frankie Gusti's Christmas collection. And really, if you aren't drinking sangria out of a pretty glass and burning a complementary candle, are you even sangria'ing right?! Don't forget you can save 15% at Frankie Gusti with my code loveliz15.
Naturally, Spotify have any number of sangria themed playlists like this one. Feel free to pick your own, I have questionable taste in music ;-)
So are you team sangria especially with the warmer weather coming? Or are you not a fan? Let me know. We can either sangria together or....not!!! Feeling all summery right now after penning this! Like I want the sun to burst out, the sangria to land on my doorstep (I could probably pull one together in all honesty but...), I want to light the candle and I want my beloveds to all magically appear on my doorstep to drink it with. Sigh. Anyways. For now, we shall virtually sangria together and dream of the day we can do it IN REAL LIFE!!!!
header image: Downshiftology.