This Red Wine Sangria is made with brandy, pinot noir, simple syrup, blackberry soda, and ALL of the fruit. It’s a refreshing burst of sweet, fruity-goodness that you won’t want to put down!

Summer Red Wine Sangria

If you’re a fruit lover and like a nice drink every once in a while, this will be your new summer favorite!

Make it to impress your friends for a dinner party, or bring it to the next family barbecue; no matter the occasion, this drink promises to be a crowd favorite!

Have a Cocktail with dinner!

What is sangria?

Sangria is an alcoholic Spanish drink made traditionally with red wine, 1-2 cups of cut fruit like peaches, berries, apples, pears, or melon, spiked with brandy, and is sweetened with syrup or orange juice.

Whether you stick to the original or try something new, the result is a fruity, boozy treat perfect for these hot summer days!

Should Sangria be served warm or cold?

COLD!

So. Cold.

Ideally, you want to leave the Sangria mixture in the fridge overnight to let all of the ingredients get to know each other and to get the best flavor possible. It also ensures that it’s going to be the PERFECT chilliness.

If letting it chill overnight isn’t an option for you, make sure to pour it over ice to make sure it’s cold. Plus, the ice and fruit floating in the drink are super pretty!

What other kinds of fruits can be used?

The best thing about this Red Wine Sangria is that you can customize it as much as you want!

You can keep it traditional by using fruits like apples, peaches, pineapple, and berries for a sweet and tangy flavor. If you want to change it up a bit, here are some different combinations to try:

1. Stone-fruit only. – Try using stone-fruit only (plums, cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots) for a sweet, juicy, fruity flavor.
2. Add some spice! – Add a mild chili that’s been de-stemmed and deseeded for a little tingle on your lips and a truly unique taste!
3. Warm spiced citrus. – For a sangria that speaks to your soul, try using warm spices like star anise, cinnamon, and clove mixed with some citrus peels!
4. Sweet melon. – Love melons? Try using sweet melons like honeydew, cantaloupe, and watermelon mixed with some local honey and Moscato for a thirst-quenching refreshment!

What other types of wine can be used?

Not a fan of pinot noir? Not a problem! Any medium-bodied red wine will work for this recipe!

The goal for whatever wine you choose is something low in tannins. If you’re unfamiliar with what a tannin is, it’s a fancy way of saying bitterness. A wine high in tannins is more bitter or dry, while one low in tannins is sweeter and typically more fruity. You can see why this is what we want!

While traditionally, red wine is used in Sangria recipes; if you’re not the biggest fan of reds, you can try substituting it for a dry white or champagne!

The bitterness from a dry white wine complements the sweet fruit and syrups beautifully! It adds just the right pucker if you’re someone who doesn’t like overly sweet drinks.

If you decide to go with champagne, you’ll want to add the bubbly shortly before serving it so you don’t lose the fantastic sparkle. Once mixed, this version won’t keep well in the fridge because it will lose most of its fizz. If you want to be able to enjoy this for a couple of days, mix all of the ingredients together EXCEPT for the champagne; only add the champagne before serving.

How to make delicious homemade sangria

1. Use fresh fruit – It sounds like a simple concept, but it’s so easily overlooked. When you’re picking out your favorite fruits, make sure they’re as fresh as possible.
2. Use a good red – You don’t have to use a bottle of wine that costs $40, but you want to make sure that it’s a wine that you’d drink by itself.
3. Make sure it’s nice and cold – You want to make sure that you’ve refrigerated your sangria for at least 3 hours before serving, you don’t want a lukewarm sangria!
4. Customize it – I use simple syrup in this recipe, but you could easily trade this out for something like my Fresh Cherry Syrup or Blueberry Syrup for another pop of fruity flavor!

How long does sangria last in the fridge?

If you’re making a big batch of sangria, you’re not going to want to waste a drop! Luckily, this Summer Sangria lasts for 3-5 days in the fridge, but just be sure to keep an eye on the fruit because it’s more likely to go bad before anything else!

If you’re worried about the fruit, you can go ahead and throw it away after the first day. Just cut up some more fresh fruit and toss it in before you have it again to get the same cute look!