JUICY     FRUITY     FUN

Wine, fruit, juice, and sweetness ... oh what a wonderful idea! Spain and Portugal certainly thought so. They have been drinking this punch for quite a long time. Sangria was introduced to the USA in 1964 at The World's Fair in New York. Now, it is one of our most popular wine cocktails ... not to mention, a party drink that can be enjoyed by everyone!

Here we have the typical make-up of the delicious drink:

Both red and white can be used in sangria.
Best whites: Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Chenin Blanc
Best reds: Merlot, Zinfandel, Grenache, Rioja, Red Blends

Popular fruits: lemons, limes, oranges, berries, peaches, apples

Great mixers: Sprite/7-up, Ginger Ale, Club Soda

Sweeteners can include: sugar, honey, fruit juices

Occasionally added: Brandy, Triple Sec

ALSO, check out this terrific info-graphic:

On a hot day it's difficult to say no to a refreshing pitcher of this stuff! My family and I recently shared a pitcher (well, two pitchers) at Sarah's Vineyard on a screaming hot day. They have some crazy refreshing Sangria!

There are some decent bottles of Sangria out there, such as Senor Sangria and Eppa Sangria, but really, nothing comes close to home-made, so here are some tempting recipes for you:

THE BEST WHITE SANGRIA

EASY SUMMER SANGRIA

STRAWBERRY SANGRIA


MERLOT AND BRANDY SANGRIA


AUTUMN APPLE SANGRIA


CRANBERRY CHRISTMAS SANGRIA

AND Food and Wine has some great Sangria's to browse at your leisure!

photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/preppybyday/5084101513/">TheCulinaryGeek</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>

Wine Review

WINE - Louis Jadot (Macon-Villages) - Chardonnay - 2012

CLEAN * BRIGHT * LIVELY

aromas of: apple, citrus, flowers

tastes of: green apple, melon, lemon

* unoaked, medium body, bright acidity!

price tag: $13

verdict: 3.5 / 5

I took a week off.

This is my reason (I blame her):

This little lady has taken every minute of my time this week. I did not realize how much work a puppy is. I feel like I have a child. I forgot that 5:00 in the morning existed. I never knew how much I appreciated silence. I never knew how much I appreciated WINE.
This was my first bottle of relaxation after my monster's homecoming. ONE WEEK LATER. She's the cutest thing in the world though! I love her just about as much as wine (I might love her more).
Soooo ... This bottle of wine was especially delicious. I have been learning a bit about Burgundy lately, so this 100% Chardonnay from Macon-Villages in Burgundy was very appropriate. I usually like my Chardonnay oaked, but this was unoaked and I thought it was fantastic. It was well balanced and very lively. I downed two glasses before our cook-out even began.

makes me think of: playtime

Vineyard Update

Look at those ugly, good-for-nothing creatures munching and mating all over our precious vines! 

Yes ... we have reached our first obstacle in grape growing. I give you ... The Japanese Beetle. These little guys are nasty. All they do is mate and feast on plants. Grape vines are one of their favorites. 

I hate them.

Here we have some major destruction ...

and an angry farmer ...

Good thing is the vines are not all destroyed!

We spent some time over the weekend picking the beetles from the vines. I did some research and found out this year is an unusually bad year for Japanese Beetles. I think we will be applying some Milky Spore this fall. It's a bacteria that controls Japanese Beetles over time. It sinks into the soil and kills the larvae there. Hopefully this works. I'm hoping I won't have to use chemicals unless absolutely necessary. 

We do have some pretty vines growing!