Summer Sangria

Now that temperatures have actually hit summer levels and it’s almost the Fourth of July, your thirsty thoughts may be turning toward icy drinks. (Read: Not wine.)

Don’t abandon that bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon just because the thermometer happens to read 95. When the sweltering temperatures have you sipping in the shade, an iced pitcher of sangria on the table beside your lawn chair may be just the refreshment you seek. It’s light, fruity and cold—everything you want in a hot-weather drink.

Sangria originated in Spain and there are as many variations of the recipe as there are people who make it—and probably more. Sangria is essentially wine mixed with fruit and some other ingredients. That’s about all the parameters there are for sangria.

Here’s a basic, traditional sangria recipe courtesy of www.spain-recipes.com

Sangria

•       3 1/4 cups ( 26 fl. oz) dry red wine
•       1 tablespoon sugar
•       Juice of 1 large orange
•       Juice of 1 large lemon
•       1 large orange, sliced thin crosswise
•       1 large lemon, sliced thin crosswise
•       2 medium peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks
•       1 cup (8 fl. oz) club soda
Combine all the ingredients except the club soda in a large punch bowl or serving pitcher. Mix well. Refrigerate overnight. Immediately before serving, mix in the club soda for added fizz. Ladle into cups with ice cubes. (Yes, you will be putting ice cubes in wine. RED wine. It’s really okay, just relax!)

Here’s a Prairie Berry recipe:

Black Currant Sangria

• 1 bottle Lawrence Elk black currant wine
• 2 cups orange juice
• 1/8 cup simple syrup (equal parts of sugar and water heated until sugar dissolves)
• Sliced limes, lemons and oranges

Fresh fruit of your choice (we use red grapes, oranges, blueberries, blackberries, limes and lemons)
Orange zest
Sugar

Mix first four ingredients and chill for a few hours. It gets better the longer you let it sit! Rim a wine glass with orange zest and sugar, add ice, fresh fruit and sangria. You can also add the simple syrup to your taste.

We also make sangria with our Pink Slip, a white zinfandel and Steuben grape wine. Just add a splash of Lawrence Elk and some fresh fruit. But don’t let our ideas limit yours.

Like summer, sangria is all about making the most of what’s on hand, being creative and making the situation fit your mood. “Season to taste,” so to speak. So lighten up and get creative with your wine. It’s okay. Really.