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Have you ever noticed the summer sun sets in shades of Sangria? Ruby reds, pastel purples, zingy oranges.
While the aesthetic draw might be the warm array of colors, when crafting your Sangria, it’s important to always use a quality wine. Select a wine you enjoy on its own. Large format bottles and boxes are perfect for a party, and large-batch Sangria will give you more time to spend with friends and family, rather than playing bartender all night.
Sangria is endlessly customizable, but each starts out the same. A simple concoction of red or white wine combined with fresh fruit creates a beautiful marriage of flavors that stand alone perfectly without any other ingredients. The simplicity of this recipe makes creating a pitcher to store for the work week a breeze.
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Even when creating a Sangria in bulk, remember not every glass of Sangria has to be the same—and that is where the beauty of this cocktail lies. Little nuances, like the addition of fruit juice or liqueurs, different fruits with different ripeness levels and even a splash of a little bubbly water or soda can bring new life and a unique experience to each glass and each sip.
Maple syrup can be a fun addition if you are looking for a sweeter end to your day. Those craving acidity can slice citrus fruits as both flavor and garnish, adding stunning visuals to your beverage. Strawberries, blackberries and blueberries create a sweet, tangy element. Spices, herbs, and other sweeteners such as simple syrups or brown sugar cultivate a complexity of flavors that can please even the toughest crowd.
Below are 10 red wines ready to serve as agents of alchemy.
Anciano 2020 No.5 Tempranillo Crianza Tempranillo (Rioja)
Bright red-violet in the glass, this wine has a nose of cherry, purple plum and black-olive tapenade. Black-currant and blackberry flavors are joined by notes of dried thyme and sage, milk chocolate and rose petal. Tannins are a touch stiff at first but are washed away by well-integrated acidity. 89 points. — Mike DeSimone
$13.99 Plum Market
Lopez de Haro 2020 Crianza Red (Rioja)
This garnet-colored wine has a bouquet of blackberry, caramel and sage leaf. It’s a little spicy up front, with clove, anisette and eucalyptus flavors dominating over cassis and black cherry. Dark-chocolate notes and midweight tannins sail into a smooth finish. 89 points. — M.D.
$13.99 Wine.com
Breca 2021 Garnacha de Fuego Garnacha (Calatayud)
This dark garnet-colored wine has a nose of black currant, cherry and fennel pollen. It is equal parts fruity and spicy, with cherry, cassis, violet, licorice and eucalyptus flavors wrapped in a sheath of polished tannins. The finish is marked with a note of mint. 88 points. — M.D.
$14.99 Wine.com
Bodegas Aragonesas 2020 Don Ramón Roble Imperial Garnacha Garnacha (Campo de Borja)
This deep violet-red colored wine proffers a bouquet of Luxardo cherry, butterscotch and clove. Black-cherry and black-currant flavors wrapped in lightweight tannins and vivid acidity are joined by notes of menthol, anisette and fennel bulb. 86 points. — M.D.
$11.99 Western Reserve Wines
Cantine Colosi 2022 Nero D'Avola Nero d'Avola (Sicilia)
The primarily savory, slightly bitter nose features notes of tar, soil, coffee and dark chocolate, but with a splash of cherries and raspberries. The palate goes further with that sweet and sour dynamic, as a tarter fruit element emerges and a drizzle of milk chocolate adds sweetness, while acid dances around affectionate tannins. 88 points. — Danielle Callegari
$14.99 Wine.com
Flagship Cellars 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon (Paso Robles)
Toasted herb, anise and loamy soil aromas dominate the dark black plum fruit on the nose of this bottling. The palate is packed with incense and marjoram flavors as well as hints of blackberry and light pepper. 89 points. — M.K.
$12 Miracle Fruitz
Tassajara 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon (Monterey County)
Tarry, a bit reductive aromas of dried meat persist after this twist-top sits open for an hour, but the elderberry and dried berry aromas eventually poke through. There’s a lot of herbal influence to the palate, from oregano to anise, and muddled red fruit at the core. 87 points. — M.K.
$15 Harvest Wine Market
Second Growth 2021 Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley)
Light bodied, with plush tannins and mild acidity, this is a smooth textured, n easy sipping Pinot Noir. Not-quite-ripe boysenberry and strawberry aromas are joined by traces of sea breeze salinity and orange peel. Smoked cherry and nutmeg flavors unite with a healthy dose of balsa wood. 89 points. — Michael Alberty
$27.99 Bottle Buys
Barossa Valley Estate 2021 Shiraz (Barossa Valley)
Give this some air to unlock the black olive tapenade, currant preserves, licorice and earthy spice aromas. The full-figured palate is rich with density of flavor and gauzy, hefty tannins. It’s a concentrated, primary bottling for drinking with protein. 89 points. — Christina Pickard
$14.99 Wine.com
Ripe black plum, cherry and blackberry jam aromas waft immediately out of the glass, complemented by chocolate, fresh tarragon, fennel and black pepper spice. On the palate of this wine, these flavors come together, woven by soft, plushy tannins and a solid dose of acidity. A well-balanced, easy-to-love Syrah. 89 points. — Stacy Briscoe
Wine.com
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This article was originally published on July 15, 2022 .
Last Updated: May 30, 2024
