When hot days begin, sangria becomes the ritual aperitif. Fruit, sugar, some spices, lots of ice and, of course, wine. But be careful, one is not worth the other
Wine and fruit is a winning combination. And if it is not enough to convince you that my grandfather raised me in peaches drowned in white wine, fly (with imagination) to Spain and think of sangria, one of the most loved and prepared drinks in homes around the world. As it suggests the name, which derives from sangre, meaning blood in Spanish, to remember the ruby color of the drink, the sangria is prepared with the Red wine. But which wine to choose? There are two trends. There are those who prefer an alcoholic and full-bodied wine and those who instead combine fruit with a soft and light red. In the first case, the Iberian cousins are oriented towards the grape variety tempranillo, autochthonous from Rioja and now widespread throughout the country, while in the latter they choose the garnacha, a grape very present in the Mediterranean countries, including Italy, where takes the name of cannonau in Sardinia, tai rosso in Veneto and Alicante in Tuscany.
In red and white
Also in Italy there are red wines very suitable for sangria, both for those who prefer the delicate version and for those who want it more powerful. Both are good, as long as you don't skimp on the quality of the wine. Leave aside the most elegant and austere wines, based on the Nebbiolo, Sangiovese and Pinot Noir vines, and concentrate on the wines of southern Italy to prepare the more alcoholic version. Excellent choices are the Primitivo di Manduria, Nero d'Avola or even Amarone for a decidedly deluxe version of sangria.
Those who prefer the lighter version (which is also my favorite when the heat starts), can focus on a wine like Tai del Veneto, a young Valpolicella or a Lambrusco, which with its characteristic sparklingness gives an extra edge to sangria.
In recent years, however, the custom of preparing the sangria with white wine, as often happens in Catalonia. In this case, fragrant and semi-aromatic wines are suitable, such as a Riesling from Oltrepò Pavese or a Pinot Grigio.
Try this too
The classic sangria recipe includes fruits such as apples, oranges, peaches and lemons, flavored with spices such as cinnamon, vanilla and cloves, but it is fun to amaze guests with personalized versions of sangria, playing with seasonal fruit and being inspired with the aromas of the wine used in the preparation. A version with a wow effect, for example, is the one with rosé wine – a Bardolino Chiaretto or a South Tyrolean Lagrein is fine – and berries such as raspberries, strawberries or currants. Another light and thirst-quenching sangria is the one made with a Moscato d'Asti and fruits such as pear and lemon, all flavored with mint leaves … Since Moscato has an alcohol content that does not exceed six degrees, this version it is also very suitable for a "snack" sangria.
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