National Drink Wine Day 2017 falls on February 18. This day is meant for spreading the love and health benefits of wine. It’s a time when friends and family get together over a glass of wine.
This year, try something different and prepare a traditional sangria to enjoy with your loved ones. If you don’t know how to make sangria with red wine, we have a traditional sangria recipe for you. However, before we get to that, you need to know about the best red wines that can be used for making sangria.
5 Best Red Wines to Make Sangria on National Drink Wine Day
1. Garnacha
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Garnacha has lower tannins, great acidity, and showcases rich, red fruits—making it one of the best wines for sangria. It is truly delicious. Garnacha has a lighter color and is semi-translucent with a strong smell of orange rinds and ruby-red grapefruit. Some Garnacha may also have herbal notes of dried oregano and tobacco.
2. Primitivo or Zinfandel
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These wines have rich, jam-type fruits, accented with spice and floral notes making it excellent for sangria.
3. Tempranillo
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This wine can be characterized as either a medium or full-bodied wine with red fruit characteristics. It has cherry and tomato sauce flavors, followed by chunky tannin. It provides notes of black cherries, blackberries, and cola with a deep hue and lush texture. To avoid a heavily-oaked flavor, you can use Tempranillos like Crianza or Joven.
4. Bonarda
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Although lower in price, this wine has a fruity flavor and is moderately acidic. The ripe wine has a dark color and soft, fleshy tannins. It is often blended with other varieties, even though it has its own rich raspberry- and plum-driven flavor.
5. Nero d’Avola
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This wine is dark, soft, and juicy. Nero d’Avola makes wonderful expressions of a dry rosé that can be used for making lighter sangrias. It has a dry, slightly acidic, rounded, warm, and full-bodied flavor. The bold fruit-driven flavors range from black cherry to prune.
Traditional Red Wine Sangria Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 bottles dry Garnacha red wine
- 1 bottle dry rosado (Spanish rosé)
- 12 ounces orange soda
- 1 ounce Torres orange liqueur or Triple Sec
- 2 ounces Romate or other Spanish brandy
- 1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
- 2 apples, cored and diced, for garnish
- 2 oranges, cut into wedges, for garnish
Directions
Combine all liquid ingredients in a bowl. Stir and let rest for five minutes. Add sugar if desired.
Refrigerate for at least four hours.
Fill glasses with ice and pour the sangria into each glass. Garnish with diced apple and orange wedges and serve.
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Sources:
Asimov, E., “Traditional Sangria,” NYTimes.com web site; https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014752-traditional-sangria, last accessed Feb 17, 2017.
Henderson, J., “The 5 Best Red Wines for Sangria,” The Kitchn web site, June 04, 2014; http://www.thekitchn.com/the-best-red-wines-for-summer-sangria-204234.
