Today’s blog post comes from guest blogger, Courtney Patterson, who discovered one of her favorite wines while traveling in Europe.

I had the distinct pleasure of tasting sangria for the first time in its country of origin, Spain. We sat down for dinner on Las Ramblas, which is quite possibly one of the most touristy boulevards in Barcelona. We casually ordered sangria and were taken aback when the waiter returned with a 1-liter pitcher of sangria for each of us. Needless to say, I had my fill of sangria that night but it was delightful. I immediately fell in love with the fruity red wine. It was refreshing and sweet. Sangria can be store-bought but it’s easy to make on your own and tastes even better homemade.

 

What you’ll need to make delicious summer sangria:

- red wine

- chopped or sliced fruit (orange, pineapple, berries, peach, apple, lemon)

- some kind of sweetener (honey, sugar, or orange juice)

- a small amount of brandy or triple sec

- carbonated soda water (optional)

- ice

 

Sip your homemade sangria on the back porch with someone special as you watch the sunset and you’ve got yourself a perfect evening.