Seasonal Sangria: 101 Delicious Recipes to Enjoy All Year Long
by Dominique Devito
Cider Mill Press, 2018 (224 pages)
I recently took a trip to Virginia and had the most wonderful time at a local winery not far from my son's home. Great food, great wine. And though we didn't have sangria, it was on my mind, because I'd had some several years ago and remembered that it was so very refreshing on a hot summer's day. When my son and his family come for a visit this summer, I'm going to be sure to have a delicious pitcher ready for them to try.
What is sangria you ask? It's basically a wine-based drink with fruit added, along with syrup and herbs or spices. We don't know exactly what origins the drink hails from but there is a Spanish connection. The author of Seasonal Sangria, Dominique Devito, talks about sangria, and gives us some wonderful recipes to try.
There are easy recipes for Cherry Pom-Pom, Peachy Sangria, Fall Fruit Fiesta, Raspberry Romance, Minty Melon, Lavender Lift and many more. I tried the Minty Melon recipe, and it is delicious. I myself added a 1/2 cup of extra watermelon to it and it was over the top! I'll share that one here, from page 172:
Minty Melon
Yield 4-6 Servings
Here's another variation on an herb-infused rosé-gria --- this one with Watermelon (sooo good) and fresh mint (ahhh!). Seriously, double the recipe right away. Make the simple syrup the day or night before so it's' ready when you want to put the sangria together.
Mint Simple Syrup
Ingredients: 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar 1 cup fresh mint leaves. Make the simple syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the water and sugar. Cook over medium heat while stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add mint. Cover, let sit for several hours. Remove the leaves and strain the liquid so that there are no solids. Put the syrup in a jar, cover it, and refrigerate. The syrup will keep in the refrigerator, tightly sealed, for up to two weeks.
Make the Sangria
In a large pitcher, combine all ingredients except the sparkling water. Cover, refrigerate for about two hours. When ready to serve, stir in ice and sparkling water. Ingredients: 1 bottle (750 ml) dry rosé wine, 2 (I used 2.5) cups bite-sized watermelon pieces, frozen, 1/2 cup tequila, 6-8 large mint leaves (*my note: for garnish), 1 cup of watermelon sparkling water, 1/2 cup mint simple syrup. *Garnish with a mint leaf and small watermelon slice
As easy as it is to make, sangria can make a wonderful refreshment on a hot summer day, for yourself, a few friends or for a crowd. Plan to try it. Even if you aren't that crazy about wine, I am pretty sure one of these recipes will change your mind. The book shares simple yet inventive recipes. It is fun to thumb through and mark favorites you want to try.
Dominique is the owner of the Hudson-Chatham Winery in New York. She has extensively traveled in Spain since childhood and her love for sangria springs from that country, which gave the world the invention of sangria, one of the best loved wine cocktail recipes. As co-creator of the Hudson-Chatham Sangria Festival, the annual fest features fresh made sangrias. The team develops unique sangria recipes using different combinations of fruit, herbs, wine and spirits each year.
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