Easy Red Sangria

Here’s how to make the best red wine sangria…Spanish style! Just a handful of ingredients and fruit make a bold and refreshing drink.

There is nothing better than a fruity glass classic red sangria! Sangria is easily made wrong here in the United States by loading it with sugar or ginger ale. But the classic Spanish way of doing it is all about nuanced taste. It’s bold, it’s fruity and the perfect balance of dry and sweet. I fell in love with Spain while living there years ago and brought home a lifelong passion for paella, patatas bravas and of course… that punch in fruity wine. So here’s how to make red wine sangria Spanish style, with fruit marinated in wine, brandy and a spritz of orange liqueur.

ingredients for the better Red sangria

Sangria is a traditional wine punch originating in Spain. The classic version is made with red wine and chopped fruit, and often with orange juice or brandy. It is also known as red sangria. There is also white sangria made with white wine (and even a little rosé). As with many popular recipes, there are many variations on the theme when it comes to ingredients. Ours remains true to the classic and spices up the taste with orange liqueur. Here are the ingredients for red sangria:

• Fruit: orange, lemon and green apple
• Sugar
• Dry red wine
• brandy
• Orange Liqueur (Triple Sec or Cointreau)
• sparkling waterOptional

Best wine for sangria

For this red sangria recipe, you will need a bottle of dry red wine. (If you prefer white wine or rosé, head to our white sangria or rosé sangria recipes instead.) Of course, any dry red wine will do! Some of the best varieties for red wine sangria are:

• Rioja Tempranillo
• Grenache (Grenache from Spain)
• Malbec
• Pinot Noir

How to make sangria… the Spanish way

This red wine sangria method is inspired by our favorite Spanish chef, Jose Andres. Chef Andres is from Spain and has opened many successful restaurants here in the US (and is a Nobel Prize nominee for that humanitarian work!). The “Spanish” way of making this wine a punch:

• Macerate the fruit for 20 minutes: Mix the sangria fruit with the sugar and let it macerate or stand at room temperature and break down. This allows the fruit aromas to penetrate the wine even better.
• Add liquids: Add red wine, cognac and orange liqueur. Throw in a few lemon slices.
• Refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours. This allows the flavors to mix and unfold.

like that ! It’s ready to serve. We hope you find this to be the most authentic and best flavored sangria you can make at home.

Serve with sparkling water for a sparkling twist

Serve your sangria in cups immediately, making sure to add a healthy serving of fruit to each glass as a garnish. We like to serve a few ice cubes and then fill the glass with sparkling water. It’s not mandatory but adds a refreshing effervescence. It’s also traditional in Spain! Please don’t add sprite or ginger ale to this wine cocktail, I promise?

Eat the fruit as you serve!

Another tip we picked up from Chef Andres is this one: don’t let the fruit go to waste! Serve sangria with skewers. Have your guests eat the rest of the fruit marinated in wine in their drink with the skewers. It is a perfect “dessert” or refreshment for the palate after a meal.

A note on orange liqueur

Not all sangria recipes include orange liqueur: some recipes use orange juice or even leave it out altogether! This recipe uses Cointreau orange liqueur to give it a citrus complexity and boost the flavors: it really takes it up a notch! If you don’t have a Cointreau, you can also use Triple Sec or Grand Marnier. But you can omit the orange liqueur altogether and it will still taste great.

If you pick up a bottle of Cointreau, you can use it to make many classic Cointreau drinks! Try the Classic Margarita, the Cosmopolitan, or the Sidecar. Worth buying for the margaritas alone.

Varieties of Sangria

There are many types of sangria: with different types of wine and fruit! If you’re a big fan like us, you should try all the variations. Here are some of our favourites:

• White Sangria Crisp and refreshing, this white wine sangria has great flavor and lots of fruit.
• Rose Sangria or Strawberry Sangria Everyone is talking about this light, fruity summer drink with rosé wine.
• Watermelon Sangria A large pitcher of this juicy fruit is perfect for summer entertaining.
• Easy Peach Sangria Refreshing and beautiful, with white wine, brandy and a load of sweet fruit.
• Frozen Sangria Why not try frozen sangria? This frozen version is edgy and just sweet enough, with hints of citrus.
• Apple Cider Sangria This fall version combines sparkling apple cider with red wine, orange and cinnamon. In a word: wow.

This sangria recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

More summer drinks

Sangria is perfect for summer… as are all those delicious summer cocktails! Try a few to beat the heat:

• Classic Mojito Perfectly balanced with lime, rum and fresh mint! This iconic Cuban cocktail is just sweet enough.
• Aperol Spritz The classic Aperol Spritz is worth it! It’s light and sparkling, with citrus and herbal notes
• Piña Colada 5 ingredients and 5 minutes for incredible taste. Obligatory umbrella!
• Rosé Spritzers Add bubbles to your favorite rosé wine to make it the perfect summer drink.
• Best Frose (Frozen Rosé) Tastes like rosé wine! It’s all natural, with wine and strawberries.