If you’re not quite ready to let go of summer and accept the arrival of autumn, you’ll love our simple yet stylish sangria recipe. Thanks to the delightful combination of white wine, juicy fruit and other reinvigorating ingredients, this aromatic alcoholic drink will help you to recapture the spirit of balmy beach holidays. White wine sangria brings bursts of colour and flavour to dark, autumnal evenings and makes a great addition to grown-up Halloween parties.
Spain’s most famous beverage has been popular for hundreds of years. Many versions of sangria exist, but the basic elements are wine and fruit; ingredients to make the drink sweeter and fizzy are often added too, as are herbs and spices. Traditionally, sangria is made with red wine – using white wine instead offers a refreshing twist on a classic.
White wine sangria (or sangria blanca, as it’s known in Spanish) is ideal if you find the sharp, full-bodied taste associated with many red wines overpowering. What’s more, if serving sangria with or after a light meal (for example, steamed fish and vegetables), you’ll find that a white wine-based recipe is more likely to complement the food than one calling for a bottle of red.
What’s the best kind of white wine for this sangria blanca? Look for a non-sweet variety, such as a dry, crisp Sauvignon Blanc. That’ll help to ensure the wine works well alongside the zingy citrus fruit and counterbalances the sweetness of the ginger ale and strawberries. The inclusion of warming ginger juice is a subtle nod to autumnal temperatures!