December 20th – Sangria Day
It’s the holidays! What better time to enjoy the wine punch that is Sangria!
This Spanish wine-based beverage is made with red wine, fresh fruit, an additional spirit and perhaps a mixer.
A traditional recipe for Sangria for a young red wine, fresh orange and lemon juice, brandy, simple syrup, a cinnamon stick, orange and lemon rind, chunks of green apple, peaches and/or apricots. You let this sit for 2 or more hours, then serve over ice with soda water.
The name comes from the latin word “sanguis” or blood and refers to the deep red color from the wine. The first Sangria’s were likely just cheap red wine with water, herbs and spices to kill the taste, drank by the Romans. Remember at this time potable water was not really available, and wine killed off the bacteria in water.
Later versions were created and taken across the sea, most famously to the 1964 World’s Fair in New York, where it was served at the Spanish Pavillion. This version added brandy, sugar and chopped fruit to make it festive!
How to celebrate Sangria Day
People might say that to be traditional Sangria, it must be Tempranillo, the wine famous in the Rioja region of Spain. But variety is the spice of life, so go ahead, find a wine, make a sangria, and experiment with the wines and the fruits.
It’s winter, so beef up the spices to match the season. Or be a rebel! Turn up the heat, grab shorts and your flip-flops, and make a tropical version to stave away the winter blues! It’s all up to you!
Sangria Recipe Ideas
Ideas to mix and match for your sangria!
Sangria is a blend of wine, fruit, a spirit, spices or herbs, a sweetener, and a spritz.
The basic recipe for 8 servings is:
- 1 bottle of wine
- 1/2 cup of spirit
- 2 types of fruit (at least and plan for about 2 cups chopped or sliced)
That’s all you really need, but you can amp your sangria up by serving it over ice with a spritz of soda water or something else sparkling.
Add additional flavors with spices or herbs.
Then depending on your preference you may want to add a bit of sweetness with a simple syrup or another type of sweetner.
Mix and Match Sangria Options!
Wines: Choose a wine that is young and fruit forward, you don’t need a fancy expensive aged wine for this. Or skip the spritz and use a sparkling wine as your base!
You can reach for red, white or rosé for this! Tempranillo, or Pinot Grigio work well and are easily accessible, but really the options are endless.
Fruits: orange, lemon, blackberry, apple, raspberry, melon, apricot, peach, starfruit, fig, cranberries, pear, pomegranate, persimmon, lime, blood orange, grapefruit, cherries, blueberries, strawberries, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, plum, watermelon, pineapple, kiwi, mango, dragonfruit
Spices: cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg, ginger, clove, vanilla
Herbs: rosemary, basil, sage, mint, thyme, lemongrass, dried hibiscus, jalapeno
Juices : orange juice, apple juice, lemon juice, pineapple juice, mango juice, peach nectar,
Spirits: bourbon, brandy, rum, triple sec, coconut rum, Campari, fruit schnapps (like apple schnapps or peach), Cointreau
Sweetner: maple syrup, simple syrup, brown sugar, honey,
Sparkling: club soda, seltzer water, sparkling water, ginger ale, ginger beer, or sparkling wine
More on Sangria on Crushed Grape Chronicles
Here are a couple of recipes!
Cucumber melon Sangria
- cucumber slices
- honeydew melon
- lime
- fresh mint
- sauvignon blanc
- triple sec
- simple syrup
- sparkling water
Starfruit Sangria
- Starfruit
- lemon
- lime
- granny smith apple
- basil
- lemon grass
- ginger
- honey
- rum
- sauvignon blanc
- sparkling water
Here are a couple more articles!
Elements of a Great Sangria Party
White Sangria the perfect wine cocktail for spring and summer
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine and WSET 3 Certified. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
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