While wine purists may roll their eyes at this post, making Sangria has become a popular topic.  Taken for what it is, basically a mixture of wine and fruit, Sangria is often a summertime "gateway beverage" that leads non-wine drinkers to eventually explore the richly-rewarding world of wine.  (Some folks say wine coolers act in a similar way.)  While Sangria tends to be very fruity and sweet, the good news is that you can control its sweetness if you make it yourself.  What is more, Sangria pairs well with just about every kind of BBQ sauce, especially sauces rich with honey flavor.  This means it’ll be enjoyed at almost any cookout.  And, of course, it’s a great addition to Caribbean meals.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Pitchers of Sangria Pitchers of Sangria (image from Wikipedia)
  • 1 bottle of red wine (Rioja is used most often)
  • 1 cup peach-flavored rum
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 lime
  • 1 orange
  • 1 apple (cut into chunks)
  • 2 cups club soda
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 6 strawberries, halved
  • 3 tablespoons of sugar (or more)

Pour the wine into a big pitcher.  Cut the lemon, lime, and orange into wedges.  Squeeze the juice out of each wedge into the pitcher, then throw in these “squeezed” wedges.  Pour in your rum, then your lemon juice and orange juice.  Stir in 3 tablespoons of sugar.   Chill!  When ready to serve, add apples, strawberries, club soda, and ice (if desired.)

If your BBQ sauce is too acidic, or if your Sangria needs to be sweeter to combat other big dinner dishes, simply add more sugar as needed.  You can even experiment by altering the other ingredients.  Have fun!  Give this recipe a whirl on one of this year’s final summer days.