Easy Red Sangria
- PREP 10min
- TOTAL 10min
You will love this classic sangria made with dry red wine, seasonal fruits, and brandy (optional). Brandy does make the sangria taste amazing, but you can leave it out if you prefer. You can also substitute with another liqueur (triple sec and Grand Marnier are a popular choice).
You Will Need
1 bottle of dry red wine, see notes below for suggestions
1/4 cup brandy
2 medium oranges
1 medium lemon
3 to 5 tablespoons brown sugar or sweetener of choice, see notes
1 1/2 cups sliced seasonal fruit (apple, pear, strawberries, peaches or a combination)
1 cinnamon stick
Sparkling water, chilled, optional
Directions
Add wine and brandy to a tall pitcher.
Juice one of the oranges and juice half of the lemon, and then add the juice to the pitcher. Save the second orange and remaining lemon half for later.
Add 3 tablespoons of brown sugar and stir until it has completely dissolved into the wine, 15 to 20 seconds. Taste then adjust with more sweetener if needed. If using a liquid sweetener (like maple syrup), use a little less at first, taste and then add more as needed.
Slice the remaining orange and lemon half and add to the pitcher along with the other fruit, and the cinnamon stick. Stir, cover, and chill for at least 30 minutes and up to a day in advance to give the fruit a chance to infuse the wine.
Serve chilled (with or without ice). For a sparkling sangria, top with a splash of chilled sparkling water.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Red wine: For the best red sangria, we recommend a dry red wine, preferably from Spain. Look for tempranillo, garnacha (also know as grenache) or a label that has Rioja on it (Adam’s favorite, because it usually has a touch more oak). You don’t need to break the bank with the wine you choose — we personally choose something between $15 and $20.
- Sweetener: We use plain brown sugar to make sangria and find that with 20 seconds or so of stirring it dissolves nicely into the wine. Other options are regular sugar, simple syrup, honey, and maple syrup.
- Make ahead: Sangria can be made 1 day in advance (possibly a bit longer). Keep it covered and stored in the refrigerator.
- Nutrition Facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
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