Friday, May 29

Early Summer White Sangria

Makes about 12 glasses
Total price: NY $6.76/NY $7.35
Price per serving: NY $0.56/NY $0.61

Early Summer White Sangria
This past weekend we had some of that back-of-your-neck-feeling-dirty-and-gritty summer weather that New York is famous for. Sangria, particularly this lighter white wine iteration, is just the thing to both cool down and take the edge off the concrete heat. Plus, what other alcoholic beverage comes equipped with a snack?*

Early Summer White Sangria
Sangria is also a delicious, summery way to stretch a bottle of wine without being a “spritzer” (ugh) or a “cooler” (double ugh). Personally, I think the best part is fishing out the boozy macerated hunks of fruit bobbing about in the beverage. All the more reason to make this at home: you might not feel like you can dig the tasty chunks out with your fingers in a restaurant or bar, but there’s no reason not to in your house or on a picnic. (Go ahead, slurp away and suck off the juices off your fingers while you’re at it!) When you compare the $6 a glass that this will run you in a restaurant with the around 50 cents a glass that this cost us, we're guessing that you'll become home-brewing sangria converts too. And I bet you weren't getting berries or peaches in that restaurant glass, now were you?

Early Summer White Sangria
Ingredients
  • 1 lime (NY $0.17)
  • 1 lemon (NY $0.25)
  • 1 orange (NY $0.34)
  • 2 ripe peaches (NY $1.01)
  • 1 pint strawberries (NY $2.00)
  • 3 tablespoons sugar (staple)
  • 3 shots Cointreau or other orange liqueur (staple)
  • 1 bottle dry white wine (NY $2.99)**
  • Seltzer (staple*** or NY $0.59)

Early Summer White Sangria
Directions
Slice the citrus fruits into thin wedges, dice the peaches, and cut the strawberries into quarters lengthwise. Combine in a pitcher or jug with sugar and orange liqueur. Pour over bottle of wine, and chill over night or for several hours. When ready to serve, pour into glasses, spoon in some of the fruit, and top off with seltzer.**** If its blazingly hot out, toss in an ice cube.

Early Summer White Sangria

Adapted from Rachael Ray, 30 Minute Meals

* Do tell if you can think of any: I really want to know! I don’t consider a maraschino cherry or lime wedge to constitute a “snack”. And no bottom of the bottle worms either, got it? A snack is something one would *want* to eat.

** We used a Two Buck Chuck here. You don’t have to go quite that low, but really its not worth using a pricey bottle of wine in a sangria, what with all the citrus fruits and other stuff you’re tossing in with it. There is a time and place for nice wine, but really this isn’t it.

Early Summer White Sangria
*** This is a staple for us, as we make our own with one of these. Yes, that is an incredibly pricey gizmo used to make something that is quite inexpensive from the store. It’s not for everyone. But we’re pretty much seltzer addicts over here, and worry about the environmental impact of all those plastic bottles. This way we can guzzle as much seltzer as we like with worrying about the cost or the landfills. And, its shaped like a penguin. If you can resist that, you are a stronger person than I.

**** Since we took this out on a noontime picnic, we ended up using quite a bit of seltzer per glass because, as the LBUH put it, “We’re not having *that* kind of picnic!” Oh, FINE. Sigh.

Early Summer White Sangria
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories 81.4Vitamin A 2.1 %Iron 2.4 %
Total Fat 0.2 gVitamin B-12 0.0 %Magnesium 3.2 %
Cholesterol 0.0 mgVitamin B-6 2.4 %Manganese 19.1 %
Sodium 4.0 mgVitamin C 53.5 %Niacin 1.5 %
Potassium 164.7 mgVitamin D 0.0 %Phosphorus 2.0 %
Total Carbohydrate 9.6 gVitamin E 0.9 %Riboflavin 2.2 %
Fiber 1.8 gCalcium 2.2 %Selenium 0.7 %
Sugars 1.8 gCopper 3.5 %Thiamin 1.8 %
Protein 0.6 gFolate 2.4 %Zinc 0.8 %

Early Summer White Sangria

38 comments:

  1. Sounds delicious. I love sangria... I usually make a red sangria, but this white one sounds wonderful!

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  2. I love it! looks really refreshing too

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  3. So pretty and fruity! Perfect for a girl's night!

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  4. I've made something like that before! I love the lightness of a white wine sangria.

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  5. I prefer white sangria to red when the temperatures creep and surpass 100 degrees!
    We had a wonderful one, made table side at the Columbia Restaurant in St. Armands, FL
    http://www.gourmetgirlmagazine.com/casualdiningspotlight.php#columbia
    where we had a wonderful old world feel experience.
    I enjoyed your article, thank you for sharing.

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  6. Oh wow! I've bookmarked, I hope for a day very soon!

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  7. I love it! I have been making a version of this at my house with peach vodka and frozen peach slices. I think I need more fruit...yours looks beautiful!

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  8. this is the just what the Dr. ordered on a hot LA day... i've used green grapes, apples and pears before with a mint leaf or two. so pretty and refreshing!

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  9. What's wrong with a white wine spritzer? Next thing you know you'll be talking smack about the ice cube in my white zinfandel...sheesh!

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  10. This is absolutely awesome!!!!

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  11. Very nice, thanks for sharing.

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  12. Sounds like the perfect, refreshing drink for a hot summer's day!

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  13. First time heard this type of drink. Will try it out:-)

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  14. Oh god 50 cents Sangria. Dear. Thank you so much for posting. You save me zillion!!!

    see you next post then

    Keep on good work!

    -Green
    www.ahacook.com

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  15. ahhwww.. looks really good!! hmmm.. let me get me some strawberries to go with everything on your list!! Thanks for sharing this. Cheers ;)

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  16. I love sangria - especially with peaches and eating the fruit is a must! Thanks for the recipe.

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  17. Sangria with white wine, I've never heard of it, this wine lover thanks you!

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  18. Nothing says summer like sangria!
    I love the fact that yours is absolutely chock-full of fruit. So pretty. And I'll bet it's delicious!

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  19. Great pictures. I will have to try this recipe when it gets warmer in Los Angeles. My favorite part is eating the fruit soaked with alcohol!!

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  20. Yummy...a daring twist on an old classic!

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  21. Would love to make this! Looks wonderfully refreshing! Loving the strawberries in this!

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  22. This is a great refresher for the summer! I love sangrias but haven't had much of the white wine version - time to start getting acquainted!

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  23. That looks ridiculously good! I looooove sangria!

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  24. Sangria is one of my all time favorites although I have never made it at home. It tends to make my giggle. Other wines just make me talkative then sleepy.

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  25. To stay fitting with the theme - try to use White Peaches.

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  26. Another lovely sangria ..hehe everyone's making them, we Portuguese take these for granted in the summer. but most English blogs make a feast of it ..and well deserved too ,sangria can be amazing this one looks it :) xx

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  27. Sounds great! Can't wait to try. Think I'll make it for an upcoming cookout. I'll let you know how it turns out for me!

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  28. just another reason i have to get one of these big pitchers!

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  29. Never thought of Sangria as reasonably priced but I guess it is. Love your blog!

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  30. this looks delicious! making me thirsty!!!

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  31. I've always wanted to try making this myself. Now you've got me all excited to give it a try! Thanks for sharing the recipe. Just a quick Q..how much Seltzer should go with each glass? Would it make sense if I mix it right into the concoction if I'm throwing a party (and not end up having to serve every guests by pouring Seltzer for each of them)?

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  32. This looks delicious and all, but--really? Cointreau is a STAPLE? We happen to have a tiny bottle in the apt but it ran us $35 and I would totally count that as a grocery cost! Wine on the other hand--that we always have in abundance :-)

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  33. Hi Susan,

    We do think of orange liqueur as a staple simply b/c, like you, we have a bottle of it shoved in the back of a cabinet. We never seem to use much of ours. You could also substitute peach schnapps or triple sec, neither of which is pricey.

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  34. I've always made the red wine sangria and while I have seen recipes for the white I have never been interested UNTIL NOW! Your descriptions and your picture oh yum, this will be on the menu for the next warm weather get together.
    Thank you!

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  35. yea for white sangria! with sweetener & citrus, you can manipulate the balance, so I completely agree that--as long as it's not an utter dog--you can go very economical on the base wine. I used a supermarket boxed wine that passed the hors d'oeuvre test: a 2 hour party with many different nibbles, including spicy ones and no one had a snarky comment about the wine.

    PS. I like to use sparkling Spanish wine for the topper, rather than seltzer (or yech, Sprite or 7Up, or is that version from hell a West Coast perversion?)

    Anyways, beautiful pix and thanks for the simple recipe.

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  36. Note to peky --
    Halfway fill a pitcher with steeped wine mixture, swirl until you have a strong vortex. gently pour in 1 part seltzer (to 3 parts wine). When the vortex settles, immediately pour glasses.
    Alternatively, some say the yeast on the outside of grapes help with fizzy drinks so you can put a couple organic grapes in each glass. Theoretically, the seltzer in the sangria will re-fizz in contact with the grapes. Personally, I think bubbles collect on anything with a surface, so it's not really re-fizzing.
    Anyways, Red Flame are pretty. GL

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