Red Wine Sangria sparkles with berries. You can have a refreshing berry sangria in 5 minutes and it will include your very favorite alcoholic beverages too.
Grab those fresh berries and a bottle of red while you can! Thank goodness there are a variety of berries in case you need to switch out. Strawberries and blackberries would be great too.
Choose a dry red wine that you like. Merlot is often a wine of choice, but believe me, there are some wonderful variations of dry red wines coming from wineries all over the place.
One of my nieces always chooses a Cabernet Sauvignon and those sangrias are darn good!
I also go for vodka as the mixer for this recipe because it's not overpowering and it blends really nice with berries.
Jump to:
🍷 What is sangria
It is originally a Spanish drink made from mixing red wine, fruits, and other spices. It is a cocktail that gets a giant head start by using wine and fruit as the main ingredients. The taste and aroma of fruits and spices make it to-die-for.
Another plus is that you can add sparkling soda and/or a liquor to the mix. Rum and brandy are sometimes used but vodka has mildly balanced flavors and agrees with most people.
Absolutely any fruit works well in a red wine sangria drink. It all depends on what taste you are looking for.
Larger sized fruits are sliced thin before being added to a recipe but berries are small and all you have to do is drop them into the glass. No work necessary.
Also, everybody loves berries. This cocktail gets raspberries and blueberries added.
🍓 What berries are best
There are so many worthy berries out there.
Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries are ideal fruits for making berry sangria. Grapes can be used too.
They're small and have a really nice texture. They also contain a lot of juice that only adds to the pleasure of a fruity and refreshing drink.
If you're lucky enough to have any of these berries out in the wild around your house then pick some for sure. Or you can head out to the grocery store and grab a couple of cartons. Don't forget the wine and vodka.
🍇 How to make berry sangria
- In a large glass or pitcher add the wine and fruit.
- Put it in the refrigerator for at least one hour to allow the fruit flavors to infuse with the wine.
- When you're ready to serve, add ice to two glasses and divide the red wine sangria mix between them.
- Top with the vodka.
- Add soda water if desired.
- I used Merlot because Merlot is known for its red-fruit notes, making it the perfect complement to the berries in this red sangria recipe.
- This is easily doubled or tripled so why not make a small pitcher for sharing!
🥜 What food pairs well with sangria
There are lots of choices here. Nuts for sure. That keeps the relaxing atmosphere going.
But fix a Chickpea Salad Sandwich or another easy and cool sandwich such as a Baquette Sandwich with Roasted Peppers and Onions and you have aa feast.
If you'd like some heftier snacks than nuts then super simple Crescent Roll Pesto Appetizers would be great finger food. And don't forget more berries. Strawberries on the side would be delicious.
👩🏻🍳 How to make non-alcoholic sangria
Not everyone is okay with alcoholic beverages. Does it mean they can't enjoy a glass of sangria? Absolutely not.
There is a version of this drink that guarantees a fantastic taste and zero alcoholic content.
The primary ingredient is red or white wine. To make it non-alcoholic, you simply need to replace the wine with juice. You can then add the fruits of your choice.
Don’t forget to add carbonated water for a sparkling drink.
🍹 Bartender tips
Wine can stay in good condition for years on end. But once it's combined with fruit and or soda you should serve it right then.
You can pre-mix the wine and liquor if you'd like to put it in the fridge to get cold.
As you know the fruit will go bad and the carbonation will go flat. So it's always best to enjoy a mix like this right away.
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📋 Recipe
Red Wine Sangria
Ingredients
- 10 ounces dry red wine
- 3 ounces vodka
- ½ cup fresh berries
- ½ cup sparkling soda - optional
Instructions
- In a large glass or pitcher add the wine and fruit.
- Refrigerate for at least one hour to allow the fruit flavors to infuse with the wine.
- When ready to serve, add ice to your favorite glasses and divide the mix between the two glasses.
- Top with liquor and stir.
- Add soda water if you would like.
Nutrition
Suzy
Oh, my gosh! Vodka with sangria. I have never had hard alcohol in a sangria but it sounds delicious. Can't wait to try it.