I recently dined at Mochica and was impressed with their fantastic sangria. Unfortunately, I tried replicating the recipe and couldn't come up with a good alternative. Although I have looked online for a variety of add-ins (apples, pineapple, grapes, etc.), I think my problem is with the wine itself.
Any tips on a good wine I can use to make my own sangria?
Thanks,
Ruth
Ruth, there is no set recipe for Sangria. In fact, Kim Haasarud's 101 Sangrias & Pitcher Drinks has 43 recipes for Sangria, but the one theme running through them all is that a good sangria needs a good rest. Ideally, it should infuse overnight so that the flavors mingle.
If you don't have that kind of time, Haasarud suggests mash the fruits a bit before mixing the sangria, or to sauté the fruits over low heat in a tiny bit of simple syrup, then add the barely cooked fruit to the sangria mix.
In terms of what kind of wine to use, Haasarud says that you should not use anything too expensive because what sets these wines apart from less expensive wines is usually a set of subtleties that will be lost in sangria. Red sangria, she says, is usually made with a Spanish wine like Rioja, but that any hearty, earthy wines like Syrah, Chianti and Sangiovese will be able to hold their own against the add-ins. For white sangrias, she recommends something dry like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.
Mary wrote a good post on Rioja and Sangria that could help you find a nice bottle.
• Refreshing Red Rioja: Sangria and Carne Con Chocolate
We just had a Campo Viejo Tempranillo Rioja that was rich and fruity, but it might be even better as a sangria.
If you're aiming for a budget bottle, also check out Mary's post on good buy from the supermarket:
• How To Choose Good Cheap Wine from the Big Brands: Cabernet Sauvignon
And finally, for inspiration you should definitely check out these reimagined sangrias from New York Mag:
• Drink This! Sangria 2.0 from New York Magazine
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Superior fruit and decent wine have worked for me. Martha's recipes are pretty good examples for fruits to mix.
I like to add a flavored sparkling water to mine.
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Charles Shaw is perfect for sangria.
Also, I made a delicious WHITE sangria with a few inexpensive bottles of vinho verde, granny smith apples, green seedless grapes, and a touch of orange juice...yum!!!!!!!!!
www.thebitterfoodie.blogspot.com
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Carlos Rossi also works.
view skittlbrau's profile
I've used the Carlo Rossi Paisano and Charles Shaw for sangrias before and they are very good for this purpose. I also usually add some brandy and triple sec.
view catlike's profile
I like to use the $4.99 wine from World Market called Rene Barbier.
view sleggo's profile
The secret seems to be fruit juice. I make a fantastic white sangria that's got white grape juice and pineapple juice in it that really brings out the fruitiness of the drink. I've also asked for the recipe at a restaurant that had a particularly delicious red sangria, and sure enough, it had some pineapple juice in it.
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These are my recipes for Sangria. I use it to make a huge jug for my Sangria Sunday parties that I have every summer.
RED: ICE BEFORE SERVING
*1 Bottle of each
CARLO ROSSI PAISANO - BIG JUG
BRANDY
PEACH SCHNAPPS
OJ
SUGAR to taste
TRIPLE SEC
SPRITE
FRUIT - APPLES, ORANGES, PINEAPPLE, CHERRIES
OPTIONAL:
PEACH BRANDY
APPLE SCHNAPPS
APRICOT BRANDY
*I add all of the ingredients together the night before except for the sprite to let the fruit absorb the alcohol.
WHITE: ICE BEFORE SERVING
CARLO ROSSI CHABLIS - BIG JUG
BRANDY
PEACH SCHNAPPS
SUGAR
TRIPLE SEC
SPRITE
FRUIT - APPLES, ORANGES, PINEAPPLE, PEACHES, LEMONS, LIMES
OPTIONAL:
PEACH BRANDY
APPLE SCHNAPPS
APRICOT BRANDY
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the secret ingredient is cheap wine. the drier the better
view BostonGal's profile
I use boxed wine - generally Franzia Chillable Red. It's incredibly cheap, and I always get tons of compliments on my sangria. This is the recipe I use:
1 orange, sliced thin
1 lemon, sliced thin
2 tablespoons superfine granulated sugar, or to taste
1 bottle chilled dry red wine
1/2 cup cognac
1/4 cup orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 cup chilled seltzer or club soda
Ice cubes
Muddle the fruit (I add additional - strawberries and blueberries are good) with the sugar. Stir in the next four ingredients. Chill - add seltzer and ice when ready to serve.
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in portugal the sangria is used a lot specially in summer. we do it with a cheap wine. we do it with red or white wine, champagne, normal fruits like orange and apple, or just berries... berries and champagne is a great combo!
the normal sangria, or the most common one, is the red wine sangria. we normally use the wine and a soda like 7up, fruits like apple and orange, a little bit of rum, cinnamon, minced mint leaves and ice... it's really nice!
view Ana Almeida's profile
rioja and pellegrino limonata
view kdel's profile
I once made sangria, adding some cognac. That was very, very good.
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