Red Wine Sangria Recipes

Use a rich and hearty red wine for best results. Burgundy is good or, I've discovered, Yellow Tail Shiraz and Smoking Loon Merlot are both hearty and inexpensive. Box wine just doesn't cut it.

Either of these Red Wine Sangria recipes makes a very refreshing summer wine drink and backyard barbecue treat. Truth be told, we start every summer with a pitcher of Champagne Sangria. An excellent tradition.

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup very hot water
1 (750ml) bottle hearty red wine
3 oranges
2 limes
3 ripe peaches, peeled and cut into 6 wedges (optional)
2 ounces brandy or peach brandy
2 ounces orange liqueur, like Cointreau
Strawberries, optional

Dissolve the sugar in the hot water to make a simple syrup. Cool.

In a large pitcher, combine the simple syrup, juice of 2 oranges, juice of 1 lime, peaches, brandy and Cointreau.

Cut the remaining orange and lime into thin slices and add them to the wine mixture. Chill well and let the flavors blend for several hours (2 at the very least.)

Serve in red wine glasses over ice. Add a strawberry garnish, if desired. 6-8 servings.

You might want to make 2 pitchers-full, and if that's not enough, try the Champagne Sangria recipe, below, or the Sangria Punch recipe.

Champagne Sangria

This recipe goes twice as far, with the addition of champagne. No need to use expensive champagne, either.

1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup very hot water
1 (750ml) bottle hearty red wine
1 6-ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate
3 each oranges, lemons, limes
1 (750ml) bottle chilled champagne or sparkling wine

Dissolve the sugar in the hot water to make a simple syrup. Cool.

Pour the burgundy into a large pitcher or jug. Stir in the simple syrup and orange juice concentrate. Add the juice of 2 oranges, 2 limes and 2 lemons. Thinly slice the remaining citrus fruit and add the sliced fruit to the mix.

Refrigerate and chill for several hours or overnight. (It just gets better with time.) Serve in large wine goblets over ice; fill half way, or a little more, with Sangria and top off with chilled champagne. 12-14 servings.

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