Crappy wine??? Make Sangria!

Steven and I are poor, poooooor, POOR right now.  As a result, we're box-wine drinking fools!  We mainly stick to the Bota Box and Black Box brands, but Steven came home with a Turning Leaf box of pinot grigio that was on big time clearance.  Well, it's not so hot, in my opinion...surprise, surprise.  So, now we've got the equivalent of 4 bottles of sh!tty white wine on hand.  I refuse to believe sh!tty food products can't be reinvented into something better.....thinking....thinking....thinking.....duh!  SANGRIA!

Sangria, white or red, has so much going on it can dress up any nasty wine!  Plus, it's summer, and drinking sangria is just what you do in summer.  I've never actually written down a recipe when I make sangria, but I tried to do so tonight.  Once you get the booze to wine ratio down, you just add personal flair and fruit from there.  I used vodka in this batch, but you could add rum, brandy, schnapps, flavored liquors, etc.  Here's a rough cut of what I made tonight.  And remember, you can add whatever fruits you want!  Oranges, lemons, berries, peaches, nectarines, etc....

• 1/4 - 1/2 pink lady apple thinly sliced
• 1/2 package fresh strawberries sliced
• some sprigs of fresh mint
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh pineapple
• juice of 4 key limes
• 4 Tbs sugar**
• 1/3 cup vodka
• 1 bottle white wine
• Sprite, Fresca, Club Soda to top off**

** The sugar amount is up to your personal preference for sweetness, and if you choose to use a sweet soda or club soda.  Just play with it.  You can always add more if you find you need it.  I tend to like a white sangria sweeter than a red sangria.


In a pitcher, combine all sliced fruit, citrus juices, sugar, and vodka.  Macerate (or lightly mash) all that together forcing the juices from the fruits to release. Add the bottle of wine to macerated fruit/booze mixture.  


Refrigerate over night.  Fill an iced glass about 3/4 way full with the wine mixture, and then top off with soda.  






Shout out to my Sangria Babes in NB!
CC Bloom