You’ve got questions about sangria? We’ve got answers!

What is the best wine for sangria?

You don’t necessarily want to use your best wine for sangria since you’ll be mixing other ingredients into it. A few of our favorites to use are Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon, but it’s all dependent on personal preference at the end of the day. Just remember that you will be adding lots of fruity elements and a nice dose of sugar, so even the not-so-great bottles will get a bit of a glow-up once we’re done!

What are the best fruits for sangria?

You want to use sturdy, flavorful fruits that can sit in the pitcher for a long time without disintegrating. Play off the wine you are using and choose complementary fruits. If the wine has notes of pears or raspberries, use those! Go for seasonal fruits as well, since they tend to be at their peak flavors when in-season. Citrus, pears, cranberries, and pomegranates all make great sangria additions in the winter months! Other favorite stand-bys include:

  • Oranges
  • Apples
  • Blueberries
  • Strawberries
  • Peaches
  • Blackberries
  • Pineapple

What other sweeteners can I use?

Our sangria recipe uses sugar and orange juice as the sweetener. Honey or agave also work well!

How can I make this ahead of time?

Stir together all ingredients except for the seltzer in a pitcher and refrigerate until ready to serve. The longer it sits in the fridge, the more the flavors develop and the better the sangria gets. Add the seltzer right before you start pouring glasses to keep the bubbles nice and sharp.

Not a red fan? Try our white wine sangria! We also have fun wintertime sangrias like Apple Cider Sangria, Cranberry Blissmas Sangria, and Jingle Juice! Or for the warmer months try our frozen sangria or sangria lemonade!

Have you made this recipe? Let us know how you liked it in the comments below!

Yields:6 – 8 servings
Prep Time: 0 hours 15 mins
Total Time: 2 hours 20 mins

Ingredients

  • 1 (750-ml.) bottle red wine
  • 1 c. orange juice
  • 1/2 c. brandy
  • 1/4 c. granulated sugar
  • 1 orange, sliced
  • 1 apple, sliced
  • 1 c. blueberries
  • 1 c. sliced strawberries
  • 1 (12-oz.) can seltzer

Directions

  1. In a large pitcher, mix together wine, orange juice, brandy, and sugar. Stir in oranges, apples, blueberries, and strawberries.
  2. Refrigerate until ready to serve, preferably 2 hours. Top off with seltzer before serving.
Sangria comes to us by way of Spain and Portugal with a long and rich history that dates back to the Middle Ages. It was originally aged wine mixed with fruit and spices, such as cinnamon, then evolved through time into regional variations. Our version of sangria is light and bubbly with an addition of seltzer water and quite a perfect ratio of wine to brandy.