How To Make A Basic White Wine Sangria

I’m not a wine connoisseur  by any means, but when it comes to drinking wine, I prefer a good sangria.  What makes a good sangria you ask? Well, I’ve learned that the secret to a good sangria is how long you let it rest.  You might be surprised to know that a few hours in the fridge is still not long enough.  Want to know the secret?  Keep reading and I’ll tell you!

Today’s recipe is a fruity sangria that will complement all the fixin’s at dinner this Thanksgiving.  One of the great things about sangria is you don’t have to spend a lot of money on a bottle of wine to make a good batch.  In most cases, the cheaper the wine the better!  I prefer to go with something that already has hints of sweet and fruity notes to it.  Something light, not too high in alcohol content.  You can always add more alcohol to it later (such as an orange liquor) if you want.

In this case I chose Madria Sangria’s Moscato because it pairs well with a traditional Thanksgiving dinner and whatever dessert you serve with it.  You may also notice the fruit in the picture above is not looking so fresh.  Something else I learned through trial and error, is that fruit in this condition is perfect for using in sangria.

For this batch of sangria I used:

6 cuties (segmented)

2 gala apples (peeled and cut into thin half slices)

1 cup pomegranate arils

1 bottle (750ml) Madria Sangria Moscato

After you have segmented the cuties and added them to the pitcher, be sure to squeeze all the juice out of the membranes into the pitcher before you throw them away.  Then add the peeled and sliced apples.

Pour the whole bottle of Moscato into the pitcher.  By the way, the amount of fruit in this recipe is enough to add a whole other bottle of Moscato.  If you use two bottles, the resting period will be slightly longer than if you were to use one.  That’s the only change needed if adjusting the recipe to a double batch.

Add the pomegranate arils and give it all a good stir.

Cover with plastic wrap or lid if you have a pitcher with a lid.  Obviously I need to invest in a better pitcher for this.

Place it in the fridge where it can rest for 2-5 days.  Yes, you read that right.  Two to Five DAYS.  Trust me!

A good sangria needs time to soak up all the fruit juices and natural sugars to taste good.  Many recipes will require adding sugar, but if you just give the wine a minimum of 2 days with a maximum of 5 to soak in the fruit, you won’t have to add any additional sugar.  In some cases you might have to, but with a Moscato, you definitely won’t have to.  If you are making a bigger batch and using fresh fruit, you can probably get away with letting it rest for closer to 7 days in the fridge. Just don’t forget to give it another couple gentle stirs during the resting period. Taste it, too! That way you can taste the difference each day.

I hope you all enjoy this drink and have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday in the company of all your favorite people.   Salud!