Best Sangria Recipe

Our top picks for the Best Sangria Recipe

Finding the Best Sangria Recipe can be tricky. One recommends adding lime juice, whilst another swears by orange. Do you use a quarter or a full cup of sugar? Which wine to add? So many questions, so many recipes to confuse you…

At ilovewine.com we’ve done the tiresome research for you! Here are our 3 favorite ‘Best Sangria Recipe’ options and top tips on making the best sangrias, guaranteed to add a taste of sunshine to any gloomy day.

Sangria, the Spanish term for a wine and fruit cocktail with a generous helping of sugar, is one of the most popular wine cocktails. Though we also love a Mimosa (sparkling wine/champagne and citrus juice) during a boozy brunch, Sangria holds a special place in our hearts, and on our taste buds!

Psst: if you want to know more about other wine cocktails, don’t forget to check out our guide on 6 Cocktails You’ll Want to Sip All Summer Long!

The Best Wines to Make Sangria

You can make sangria with any type of wine; red or white. However, if you want the most authentic sangria, we’d recommend using a Spanish wine (as used in traditional Sangria recipes).

For red sangria, consider a medium-bodied red to get a balanced flavor palette. For example a Tempranillo or Young Garnacha. Don’t worry about splurging too much on a bottle, Sangria tastes great even when its cheap (and cheerful). Now, with that said, don’t add one of those horrible 6% drugstore bottles of red. There is cheap and cheerful, and cheap and dreadful, drugstore wines fall in the latter category.

If you want to venture away from solely Spanish wines or varieties, other wines that are great for making the best sangria are Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

For white sangria, experts recommend an aromatic and/or slightly zesty wine such as the Chenin Blanc, Pinot Gris or Riesling. Avoid bottles that are very earthy or heavily oaked. A white sangria should be light, crisp and refreshing: oaky wines tend to throw the palette off-balance. Also remember: you’ll probably be adding more citrus juice to the mix, so a wine that is super zesty might result in a slightly sour sangria.

If you want to play it safe, just pick a bottle with personality, but not one that is extremely bold in profile. It’s easier to add a touch of acidity or sweetness using your other sangria ingredients than to dilute very outspoken, unwanted wine aromas.

This all being said: everyone has a different preference. Making sangria should be fun and experimental, so if you’re going to try out the ‘Best Sangria Recipe’ options below, we’d definitely recommend trying different wine varieties to find the one you like best!

5-minute Classic Spanish Sangria Recipe

Making the best sangria doesn’t get much easier than this traditional recipe. Found in the Rioja-region of Spain, this sangria is a simple mix of soda water, granulated sugar, citrus juice and red wine (mostly Red Rioja, a blend of Garnacha and Tempranillo).

Ingredients

• 1 bottle of red wine we’d recommend using one of the medium-bodied red wines mentioned above, such as the Young Garnacha, Merlot or Tempranillo
• 1 cup of soda water
• ¼ cup of granulated sugar use ½ a cup of sugar if you prefer your Sangria on the sweeter side
• juice from 1 orange alternatively, you can also use the juice of 1 lemon or 2 small limes
• sliced orange, lemon or lime to garnish

How to prepare this easy, delicious recipe? Simply stir the ingredients together in a large pitcher, add plenty of ice and chuck in a few slices or orange, lemon and/or lime to garnish. It’s quick, crisp, refreshing and the perfect way to cool down on a hot summers day.

Making a great sangria is not time-consuming or complicated: you can whip up this beauty in a matter of minutes!

Tip: this is a very simple, no fuss sangria. If you wish to add a bit more ‘oomph’, simply stir in a 1/3 cup brandy (or more!) to add another flavor dimension to the blend.

5-minute White Wine Sangria Recipe

This White Sangria Recipe is a quick, easy and simple choice with minimum ingredients to create a delicious wine cocktail. Again, this is all about the basics – you can always add your own flair to the recipe if desired.

Ingredients

• 1 bottle of white wine an aromatic, slightly zesty white wine like Riesling, Chenin Blanc or Pinot Grigio works best
• ¼ cup of granulated sugar use ½ a cup of sugar if you prefer your Sangria on the sweeter side
• juice from 1 lemon
• 1 cup of soda water alternatively you can also use Cava
• sliced fruit to garnish peaches, apples, berries, limes, oranges, strawberries, watermelon – whatever you fancy
• mint or basil to garnish optional

Just like the red sangria recipe, you slice some fruit, mix all the ingredients together in a large pitcher and voila: you’re ready to rock and roll. If you want to have an even quicker sangria recipe, you can also use frozen or canned fruits (perfect for when you run out and quickly have to make more!)

The Mint or Basil in the recipe is optional and adds a herby, fresh twist when used as a garnish. We’ve found that it works really well for our taste buds, but if you’re not big on mint or basil, you can simply leave it out.

Tip: Spice up this recipe, try adding ¼ cup of apple brandy to create a smooth, fruit-forward appeal that will tantalize your taste-buds!

Sweet and Seductive Red Sangria Recipe

One of our personal favorite recipes for a sumptuous red sangria is a creation by Cookie + Kate. This recipe is simple, yet full of flavor. It doesn’t require you to add any sweet liqueurs, sodas or heaps of sugar: perfect for those that don’t want calorie-laden glasses of sangria goodness.

Ingredients

1 chilled bottle of white wine Grenache or Pinot Noir
a large orange
a small lemon sliced into thin rounds
½ cup of brandy
1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 cup of sliced seasonal fruit (apples, pears, strawberries, peaches, nectarines, pineapple etc.)

Start by slicing the orange in half and squeezing the juice of one half into a pitcher. Slice the other in small slivers and add to the pitcher. Then add the seasonal fruit and lemon, the brandy and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. Pour in the wine and stir with a large wooden spoon to combine…

Have a taste. Is it sweet enough? If your taste buds crave a bit more sweetness, add another tablespoon of maple syrup and try it again. Once it’s completely to your liking, add some ice and you’re done!

Tip: though this sangria is immediately ready to drink, you can also let it stand in the fridge for 2 to 8 hours to let it develop an even more intense, fruity flavor.

Want more sangria recipe inspiration?

Our ilovewine.com blogger Lauren wrote about 7 Seriously Easy Summer Sangria Recipes to help you on your way.  Reagan also included several amazing sangria recipes in her collections of red wine cocktails and white wine cocktails. 

Quick and tasty, these recipes offer enough variations to keep you drinking sangria all summer long! You’re welcome!