Sweet Red Wine Sangria Recipe
Sweet red wine already carries residual sugar, so it needs less added sweetener than a dry-wine sangria and holds up well against tart citrus and brandy without tasting thin. Macerating the fruit in the wine for a few hours pulls flavor both directions, the fruit turns boozy and the wine turns fruitier, before the club soda goes in for lift right at serving time.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Total
- 140 min
- Servings
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 bottle (750 ml) sweet red wine (such as Lambrusco or Concord grape wine)
- 1 large orange, sliced into rounds
- 1 medium apple, cored and diced
- 1/2 cup brandy
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 stick cinnamon stick
- 1 cup club soda
- 4 sprigs fresh mint, for garnish
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 218
- Protein
- 1g
- Carbs
- 25g
- Fat
- 0g
Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.
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Instructions
- 1In a large pitcher, combine the sweet red wine, brandy, and orange juice.
- 2Add the sliced orange, diced apple, sugar, and cinnamon stick, then stir until the sugar dissolves.
- 3Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight, to let the fruit and spice infuse the wine.
- 4Just before serving, stir in the club soda and taste for sweetness, adding another tablespoon of sugar if the wine you used runs less sweet.
- 5Fill glasses with ice, ladle the sangria over the top, and garnish with fresh mint and a few pieces of the soaked fruit.
Tips & variations
- Lambrusco, Concord grape wine, or a fruity red blend all work well here; avoid a heavily oaked or tannic red, since tannin reads as bitter once it's diluted with soda and juice.
- Swap the apple and orange for stone fruit like peaches and plums in summer, they macerate faster and taste less tart.
- For a lower-alcohol version, cut the brandy and use an extra 1/2 cup of orange juice instead.
- Freeze extra orange slices ahead of time and use them in place of ice cubes so the sangria doesn't get watered down as it sits.
Storage & reheating
Sangria without the club soda keeps well covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, the fruit continues to soften and flavor the wine the longer it sits. Add fresh club soda to each pitcher or glass right before serving rather than storing it pre-mixed, since the carbonation won't survive overnight.
Tips from the Tulo kitchen
- Use a wine that tastes good on its own; sangria concentrates whatever character the base wine has, so a wine that already tastes flat or overly alcoholic won't improve with fruit added.
- If the sangria tastes too sweet after macerating, a splash of extra orange juice or a squeeze of fresh lemon balances it without diluting the wine flavor.
FAQ
What makes a red wine 'sweet' versus dry?
Sweetness comes from residual sugar left in the wine after fermentation stops before all the grape sugar converts to alcohol. Wines like Lambrusco, Concord grape wine, and some ports are made this way, while a Cabernet or Merlot ferments fully dry.
Can I use a dry red wine instead?
Yes, but add an extra 2 to 3 tablespoons of sugar or a splash of simple syrup to compensate, since dry reds have almost no residual sugar and will taste tart and thin without it.
How long can sangria sit before serving?
The wine and fruit mixture (before adding club soda) actually improves after 2 to 4 hours in the fridge and holds up fine overnight; just add the soda fresh right before pouring.
Is sweet red wine sangria very high in sugar?
It's sweeter than a dry-wine sangria because of the wine's residual sugar plus the added sugar, so it's worth tasting after the fruit macerates and skipping the extra sugar if the fruit has already made it sweet enough.