What is the best fruit for sangria?

The best fruit for any given sangria depends on the wine you choose. The goal is to complement the tasting notes and aromatics of the wine. So Spanish red wines like Tempranillo and Garnacha with red fruit undertones pair wonderfully with apples and red anjou pears. Typical white wines for sangria like Albariño or Sauvignon Blanc are delicious with barely ripe stone fruit like peaches, pluots, and nectarines. Cherries and plums are flavor chameleons and bring out lovely notes in both red and white sangria. Citrus is a common ingredient for the cocktail in all colors, as the acidity balances out the sweetness of the punch. Sturdier fruit like apples and barely ripe nectarines hold up well to long marination. Berries and tropical fruits like pineapple and mango become mushy in the punch rather quickly. So I only recommend adding them right before serving or as a garnish.

Do you have to add sugar?

No way, José! According to historians, ancient Romans drank a concoction of wine, sugar, and water. So that's likely where the tradition of adding sugar to sangria originated (but their wine probably tasted awful). With the modern marvel that is 21st Century winemaking, you don't need to add sugar for a great sangria. And actually, I believe sangria is more flavorful and authentic with just a little or no sugar at all. Too much can mask the nuance in the wine, brandy, and fruit. Leaving the sugar out also allows those on a low-carb or ketogenic diet to partake in a glass.

What about adding fruit juice to the sangria?

You can certainly add a little fruit juice to your pitcher of sangria. But in my opinion, juice only dilutes the flavor of an authentic sangria. And if you are adding sliced citrus, juice from the flesh will make its way into the punch anyway. So for a pure, traditional glass of sangria, you don't need to add any. But you decide. It'll lighten up the cocktail (especially if you've added liqueur). And stretch how many people your pitcher will serve. Aim for half a cup of orange juice for every bottle of wine for a traditional sangria.

An Authentic Red Sangria Recipe [Restaurant-Style]

Ingredients

Scale

1 bottle (750 mL) of Spanish wine
¼ to ½ cup of brandy
2 apples and/or pears, diced small
½ of a large orange, sliced and halved
1 lime, sliced into half moons
2 to 4 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon of allspice berries, optional
¼ cup of simple syrup, optional

For Simple Syrup

½ cup of granulated sugar
½ cup of water

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Instructions

To Make Simple Syrup

Bring the sugar and water just to a boil in a small pot, stirring to dissolve the sugar well.
Remove it from the heat immediately, and set it aside to cool.
Store simple syrup in an air-tight container for up to a couple of weeks.

Mix & Marinate the Sangria

Prep the fruit. Dice your apples and pears into small pieces which allow the fruit to be sipped in small doses with the sangria. If you don't want any fruit to be sipped, simply chop it larger. Cut the lime in half, then into thin slices. Do the same with the orange, cutting the slices in half again to create small triangles. Save a few slices of lime or orange for garnishing the glasses.
Mix the sangria. Add the fruit, wine, brandy, simple syrup (if using), and any whole spices to a large pitcher and stir it well.
Marinate. Let the sangria chill for several hours before serving, at least four for the best flavors. You can also mix sangria the night before.
Serve. Serve sangria chilled garnished with a slice of citrus.

Notes

Sommelier Tip

Marinate the wine for at least four hours. Mixing up sangria for clients I've found that four hours is the sweet spot for marinating the fruit in the wine. At least as a minimum. More is better, less is well, less. The more it marinates, the better it tastes (up to a point). Overnight is a great way to create a smashing sangria. After a day or so, however, the punch will begin to fall flat on flavor as the exposure to air degrades the wine.

Choosing Wine

For the most authentic sangria, choose a Spanish wine varietal such as Tempranillo, Garnacha, Monastrell, or a Rioja (a red blend). Primativo, Zinfandel, and Syrah also make for fun pitchers of sangria.

On the Liqueur

Brandy is a popular addition to sangria for good reason. The fortified, fermented grape juice-based spirit pairs beautifully with wine and traditional sangria flavors. An orange-flavored liqueur such as Triple Sec, Cointreau, or Grand Marnier works well in this recipe, too.

On Adding Club Soda

If you'd like to add a carbonated beverage to your sangria, splash a little in the glasses right before serving. The carbonation will fall flat as the sangria marinates anyway, and doesn't bring any great flavors to the table.

On the Nutrition Facts

The nutrient amounts below are based on the recipe as written with half of a cup of brandy and no added sugar. It doesn't include any calories from the fruit, since consumption on that front varies widely.

Author: Chef Christina
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Category: Drinks
Method: Marinating
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Diet: Vegan

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 7-ounce glass of sangria
Calories: 220
Sugar:
Sodium: 0.3 mg
Fat: 0 g
Saturated Fat:
Carbohydrates: 4.9 g
Fiber:
Protein: 0.1 g
Cholesterol:

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