Easy White Sangria (10-minute wine recipe)
Making sangria takes 10 minutes and lasts for hours, making it a perfect drink for hot day gatherings and brunch. It's a great pitcher cocktail to make during the summer months. Use your favorite white wine It's versatile regarding the fresh fruit you can use and pairs very well with yellow and orange fruit.
Servings 8 glasses
Ingredients
Simple syrup:
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup water
For the sangria:
- ½ orange with rind
- ½ medium apple unpeeled
- ½ mango peeled
- 1 large peach unpeeled
- 1 bottle dry white wine cold. I use an average 750ml bottle
- ¼ cup peach schnapps or apricot brandy
- orange juice from half an orange
- club soda or sparkling water optional, I don't normally use it
- ice cubes
Instructions
- Don't add too much fruit from the start, as you might run out of pitcher space for the wine after you add ice.
- You can use sugar and stir it with the rest of the ingredients. Or use a simple sugar syrup that can be made ahead. The syrup dissolves much better and is what we use.
Make the simple syrup:
- In a small saucepan, combine ⅓ cup sugar with ⅓ cup water. Stir to moisten and cook over medium heat, without stirring, until it breaks into a boil. Remove and let cool completely. Keep refrigerated in an airtight jar or bottle. It keeps almost indefinitely.
For the sangria:
- Have a large pitcher (8 cups or more) ready.
- Slice ½ orange with rind, ½ medium apple, ½ mango and 1 large peach. Add half of them to the pitcher and some ice cubes.
- Add 1 bottle dry white wine, ¼ cup peach schnapps or apricot brandy and orange juice from half an orange. Stir a few times.
- Add about ¼ cup of simple syrup or sugar. Stir well, especially if using granulated sugar. It needs to dissolve completely. Add more ice cubes and club soda or sparkling water (if using) to almost fill the pitcher. Add more ice and club soda to almost fill the pitcher.
- Stir the sangria and check the sweetness. Add more syrup if needed, and take into account that the fruit will release juice with the passing hours.
- Serve in glasses with fruit slices.
Notes
White wine: use your favorite. A dry wine like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio is recommended, but you can use a sweeter one, like late harvest. Depending on your choice, increase or decrease the amount of syrup or sugar.
How long should sangria soak? Though sangría is made up to 12 hours before serving, you can serve it almost immediately. It won't have the fruity flavor it acquires after hours of fruit slices macerating, but it'll still be a great wine drink. Find your own sweet and fruity spot. You shouldn't stop from making it because you don't have hours to let it stand.
Storage:
Without the fruit: Use a sieve to drain the liquid and pass it to a sealed jar or bottle. Refrigerate the sweet wine, but discard the fruit (or eat it). This is my first recommendation if storing it for a few days. Fruit ferments quickly, and there's a good chance the sangria was left outside or at room temperature before you store leftovers. So the fruit will already be heavily macerated.
With fruit: if you store it with fruit because you'll be drinking it again soon, smell and taste it before serving to ensure it's not fermented. Variations:
Use different fruits, like grapes, pineapple, passionfruit, tangerines or nectarines.
Sweetener: Use honey or fruit syrup instead of sugar for a unique flavor. Or use brown sugar for a more caramel tone.
Ginger ale, club soda, or sparkling water are optional if you want a slightly fizzy drink. It's perfect if you want to omit it, like I do.
Without the fruit: Use a sieve to drain the liquid and pass it to a sealed jar or bottle. Refrigerate the sweet wine, but discard the fruit (or eat it). This is my first recommendation if storing it for a few days. Fruit ferments quickly, and there's a good chance the sangria was left outside or at room temperature before you store leftovers. So the fruit will already be heavily macerated.
With fruit: if you store it with fruit because you'll be drinking it again soon, smell and taste it before serving to ensure it's not fermented. Variations:
Use different fruits, like grapes, pineapple, passionfruit, tangerines or nectarines.
Sweetener: Use honey or fruit syrup instead of sugar for a unique flavor. Or use brown sugar for a more caramel tone.
Ginger ale, club soda, or sparkling water are optional if you want a slightly fizzy drink. It's perfect if you want to omit it, like I do.
