Summer might be drawing to a close once more, but you need a refreshing drink year-round, and sangria hits the spot.
Today, we’ll show you how to make sangria with white wine with just a few simple ingredients. Cheap and easy to make, this taste sensation is well worth adding to your drinks menu.
You’ll encounter hundreds of recipes for sangria, all slightly different, but they all follow the same formula:
- Wine
- Fruit
- Bubbly beverage like club soda
- Optional liqueur
So, you’ll find sangria is easy to make and it slips down wonderfully on a hot summer’s day.
Lovers of white wines will find the apple, citrus, and fruity flavors are enhanced by the acidity of white wine. The two go together wonderfully.
Try adding some pineapple, mango, or kiwi for a tropical kick, or go for a berry cascade and a pink tinge to your sangria.
Always use a wine you would be happy to drink by the glass. Sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, and Chardonnay are all solid choices. Fruit will mask the flavor of the wine to some extent, but don’t use this as an excuse to cheap out when you’re buying wine. Bad flavors will still come to the fore and spoil the end result in your cocktail glass.
Before we show you how to make this stuff like a pro, where did sangria first come from?
Read More: Is Sauvignon Blanc a Dry or Sweet White Wine? We explore different varieties of this coveted wine!
I. Where Did Sangria Come From?
Many people imagine sangria is a Spanish invention, but this is not the case. Rather, the first versions of sangria cropped up over 2000 years ago in Roman times. As the Romans travelled the Iberian Peninsula, they planted vineyards as they went. Water in these times was unsafe to drink, so the Romans frequently added herbs, spices, and wine for fortification.
The first versions of sangria as we know it appeared in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries throughout England and France.
Fast forward to 1964, and sangria made a famous appearance at New York’s World Fair.
Today, sangria has fans the world over, largely due to the limited ingredients you require and the ease of making sangria at home.
You might be surprise to find out there is no official recipe for sangria in Spain, despite the strong association many people form between Spain and sangria. Many local Spanish restaurants instead serve tinto de verano. This is similar to sangria, but is a blend of red wine, lemon soda, and ice.
Sangria is popular the world over and some Spaniards enjoy this drink. In Spain, though, sangria is primarily marketed at tourists rather than locals.
Since being invented, this drink has undergone many different changes, and is made with both red and white wine, as well as with cider.
So, how do you go about making homemade sangria with white wine, then?
Luckily, this is one of the simplest drinks you can make, so read on.
Read our related article on How to Make Fortified Wine at Home. Here’s another detailed guide to home wine-making!
II. How to Make Sangria with White Wine
While you’ll find many sangria recipes made using red wine, we wanted to give you something slightly different with this white wine variant.
The simplicity of this recipe is its key selling point. All you’ll need is a pitcher, a handful of ingredients, and less than 30 minutes to generate a lip-smacking concoction for your next dinner party. Aside from some crisp white wine and apple brandy, all you’ll need is fruit and ice.
We have offered a number of substitutions in the recipe, and being creative is all part of the fun.
Citrus acts as the base of sangria and strawberries, apples, and peaches all work well. Use your imagination, though. Almost any fruit that blends well with beverages makes a good choice for sangria, so why not try experimenting with some plums, figs, oranges, and blackberries? Imagination is your only limitation.
Organic cane sugar is ideal for imparting the bit of sweetness you’re looking for. If you don’t like using sugar, try some agave, stevia, maple syrup, or coconut sugar instead.
As an added bonus, you can easily make up some sangria from white wine the day before a dinner party or gathering, meaning you’ll free up more time on the day.
Let’s get down to business now with our white wine sangria recipe, so grab the following simple supplies first…
What You Need
- Lime (1 medium, sliced into thin rounds)
- Lemon (1 medium, sliced into thin rounds)
- Organic cane sugar (1/4 cup)
- Apple brandy (1/4 cup)
- Organic green apple (1/2 medium, cored and chopped with skin on)
- Ripe peach (1 medium)
- Strawberries (1 cup, sliced)
- Dry white wine (750ml bottle)
What You Need for Serving
- Ice or frozen berries
- Sparkling water
- Fresh mint
What To Do
- Add the lemon, lime, and sugar to a large pitcher. Muddle the mixture using a muddler or by crushing with a wooden spoon for 30 to 45 seconds
- Add the apple brandy. Muddle the mixture again, combining it for 30 seconds
- Add the apple, strawberries, lemon or lime juice, and stir the mixture thoroughly until it’s all incorporated. Add the wine and stir again
- Taste, tweaking the flavor if required, adding more sweetener or acidity to taste. Stir again to combine the ingredients
- Pop in the ice of frozen berries. Stir then serve, with ice and mint as optional garnish. Sangria is best served and enjoyed within a day or two of making it
Read our related article on How to Serve Ice Wine to enjoy this drink to the fullest!
III. Some Hints for Getting The Most Out of Homemade Sangria
To round out, some simple hacks on enjoying your homemade white wine sangria at its finest.
- If you want sangria in a hurry but you don’t have any chilled white wine, prepare it is above and then serve over ice or frozen berries
- Use a good quality wine when you’re making sangria. Chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, Riesling and Pinot Gris all work well
- You’ll need the citrus fruits above to make great sangria, but you should also add a cup or two of other fruits. Choose a small apple, papaya, or pineapple, or break out a couple of small mangoes. For a berry sensation, add a small container of blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries
- For drier sangria, add less sugar and consider using more club soda
- For sweeter sangria, add sugar as above but also add ginger ale or some lemon and lime soda
- Other liqueurs like elderflower, Cointreau, or Grand Marnier can be used in place of the brandy suggested in the above recipe
- Serve sangria with both spicy and savory appetizers from cheese and meatballs to shrimps and small tapas
Read More: Sherry vs Brandy: What’s the Difference? Here’s what you need to know about Brandy and Sherry beverages!
IV. Conclusion
We trust today’s short guide has shown you how to make sangria with white wine the easy way.
As with all recipes, feel free to experiment with the alternatives and suggestions above, and make the recipe your own.
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