Camille’s Cooking: Sangria

BY CAMILLE ORRICHIO LOCCISANO

July and August mean relaxing weekends with family and friends, and such occasions call for sweet and chilled home-made sangria. The good news is that we can make sangria every day of the week and never use the same recipe!

The versatility of this drink is that you can add any combination of fruit to your liking, but be sure to use a fruity wine that will be able to support the additional fruit ingredients.

It is best to use a tasty, inexpensive table wine, and although a robust burgundy is usually the preferred choice for sangria, you can also use white wine. Your wine shop owner can guide you on the structure and particulars of any chosen wine that will best match the fruits you wish to include.

If adding apples, they should always be cubed. Wine is acidic and will break down the apples if sliced too thin. This can also happen with peaches, so always cut your peaches thick when using them in sangria.

It is also important to keep rinds and skins on all fruits. This creates a rich flavor as the sangria spends hours in the chilling process.

When preparing white sangria, you may include white peaches and peach schnapps, or add a variety of berries to a robust Zinfandel. The possibilities are endless!

 

1 orange, sliced

1 lemon, sliced

1 apple, cubed

1 pear, cubed

1 cup strawberries, sliced

1/4 cup sugar

2 bottles of red table wine

1/2 cup brandy

1 cup club soda (optional)

Ice

 

Mix fruits, sugar, wine and brandy very well. Chill overnight or at least six hours. Add club soda, if desired, and ice right before serving.