Life is good! Let’s celebrate with this classic red sangria recipe. Sure, I love a glass of wine at the end of a long day, but sangria is best shared with friends.
Sangria is festive, fruity and fun. It’s a perfect party punch to pair with Spanish tapas or Mexican food. Cold sangria is undeniably great on hot summer days. The red wine base and versatile seasonal fruit options make it appropriate for cooler days, too!
Sangria hails from Spain, although funny enough, my friend Ali lives in Spain and says they don’t drink it often over there. I visited Barcelona with friends in college and we bought cheap cartons of sangria from the convenience store by the beach. I don’t recommend that stuff.
We’re going to make real sangria with good wine and fresh fruit today. Through research and trial and error, I’ve learned how to make the best red sangria. Ready?!
Start with these basic ingredients and you’ll end up with the best sangria you’ve ever had! Spoiler: you do not need any sweet liqueurs, sodas like 7-Up, or tons of sugar.
You get about 8 glasses per pitcher.
Fresh ripe fruit
Fruit infuses the wine with fresh flavor and sweetness, and gives the sangria a fun confetti vibe. I always squeeze half of an orange into the sangria, then thinly slice the other half. I use lemon instead of lime based on a tip from America’s Test Kitchen.
Then I add seasonal fruit—I love to use strawberries or peaches in the warmer months, and apples and pears in cooler months. Any combination will do!
Brandy turns wine into a true cocktail and adds some kick. You don’t need to spend a lot on brandy. I used E & J Brandy VSOP for this sangria.
In the mood for a more mellow, lower-alcohol content sangria? You can skip the brandy, use less of it, or dilute the sangria with some club soda.
Bottle of Garnacha or Pinot Noir
The best wine for sangria is Garnacha (also called Grenache) or Pinot Noir. Garnacha comes from Spain, so it’s my top pick for authentic Spanish sangria! Choose an inexpensive wine (under $20) that you would enjoy on its own.
Why Garnacha and Pinot Noir? They’re fruity, low-tannin red wines. Tannins are naturally-occurring compounds in grape skins, seeds and stems that can make the wine taste bitter or astringent. Cabernet Sauvignon, for example, is high in tannins.
When it comes to sangria, the problem with tannins is that they taste weird when chilled. Cold high-tannin wine tastes sort of chalky, extra-astringent and generally not good.
It’s difficult to combat those funky flavors, and I suspect sangrias are often loaded with sugar in an attempt to counteract the bitterness of the tannins. Thank you, Food & Wine, for helping me figure out the tannin factor!
SANGRIA RECIPE | easy authentic red sangria
FAQ
What glasses do you serve sangria in?
What holds sangria?
What are the best glasses for Sangria?
Short tumblers are also great glasses for Sangria because the center of gravity is low which lowers the risk of spilling. These crystal Sangria glasses made by Schott Zwiesel are specifically made for Sangria. They are balloon glasses that are large enough to hold a big serving of Sangria and the ice and garnishes.
Do you need a sangria glass?
Whether you’re sipping Sangria by the pool, on a picnic, or on the porch, you’ll need the perfect Sangria glasses for the occasion. Sangria glasses are slightly different than wine glasses because they need to be larger to hold the ice and fruit. You’ll want a goblet with a large opening so it’s easier to pour into.
What is a red Sangria?
Red sangria is the ultimate pitcher drink — a sharable wine cocktail from Spain made with red wine, brandy, and oranges.
Are Sangria glasses better than wine glasses?
Sangria glasses are slightly different than wine glasses because they need to be larger to hold the ice and fruit. You’ll want a goblet with a large opening so it’s easier to pour into. If you want to transport yourself to a Spanish cafe, opt for rustic “Chatos” glasses.