Sangria - A Touch of Iberian Gusto!

Sangria is a flavor-rich thirst quencher that is enjoyed all year long throughout Spain and Portugal.  This delightful mélange of chilled wine and fresh fruit adds a touch of Iberian “gusto” to nibbling hors d’oeuvres or tapas ( see my food blog post - Nov. 2009  "Savor Tapas at Home" ) enjoying a light meal or just to savor alone.  Its easy drinking flavors revitalize our lust for pleasure, transforming the ordinary into extraordinary.

Recipes for sangria are as numerous as there are recipes for tapas.  Simplicity though is sangria’s trademark, a combination of wine and fruit with some embellishments for added flavor.   A basic recipe for a pitcher of red sangria includes a bottle of a dry red wine ( I use Gallo Hearty Burgundy), sangria syrup (see recipe below) and fresh fruit, served over ice in wine glass topped off with generous splash of club soda or ginger ale.  If you prefer a heartier version, add a tablespoon or two of an orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau to the pitcher. 

Combine all the ingredients in a pitcher (except the soda) and chill overnight or for at least two hours before serving.  Then serve over ice and top the glass off with your choice of club soda or ginger ale (my wife prefers club soda and I prefer ginger ale).  When serving sangria for a party or a group of friends I set the bottles of club soda and ginger ale out for my guests to make their sangria to suit their personal taste preferences.

For a refreshing summertime treat try Cava Sangria.  We discovered this version of sangria by chance in a restaurant in Barcelona called the “Loco Crab”.  The restaurant is situated at the very end of the Port Olympic pier, on both the upper and lower levels.  The upper level has floor to ceiling glass windows on three sides overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, plus an outdoor dining area.  Their very attentive wait-staff is multi-lingual and their menu, as you would expect, is filled with fresh fish and seafood recipes from all over Spain.  Savoring a glass of chilled cava sangria, overlooking the Mediterranean is a memory that is indelibly etched in the mind of this writer and one that is recalled whenever we have cava sangria at home.  

Cava Sangria

We tried both of these recipes, the one with white grape juice and the one with orange juice; each with or without orange liqueur.  Both are very close to the flavorful taste sensations we experienced in Barcelona.  My personal preference is the one with white grape juice and Cointreau.

Combine all of the flowing ingredients in a pitcher, stir well and serve immediately. 

1 bottle of well chilled extra dry, non-vintage Cava

¼ cup white grape juice or orange juice

4-6 tablespoons of sangria syrup to taste (Sangria syrup or simple syrup: add 2cups of sugar to one cup of boiling water to dissolve the sugar)

2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier or Cointreau (optional)

One whole fresh orange thinly sliced

½ cup sliced or quartered fresh strawberries, approximately 4 strawberries

To serve, fill a wine glass with ice, hold it at an angle and slowly pour the Cava Sangria down the side of the glass.  To minimize the loss of the effervescence avoid pouring directly onto the ice if possible and garnish the glass with 2-3 fresh mint leaves.

The proportions of fruit juice, sangria syrup and fruit are to taste, as is the type of fruit used; add or subtract as you please.  Keep in mind the fresher the fruit the better the sangria.

Enjoy your Cava Sangria.  Questions or comments are always welcomed.