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>