Home » Blog » Course » Drinks » The Best Red Wine SangriaThe Best Red Wine Sangria Pin RecipeRate RecipePublished: Jan 2, 2021 · Modified: Feb 10, 2023 by Andrea + Stef · This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our full Disclosure Policy for details. This Red Wine Sangria is a bold, fruity blend of red wine, citrus, and strawberry with a hint of booze and bubbles! Jump to Recipe If you’re looking for a delicious drink to serve on a warm summer evening or alongside a Spanish or Italian inspired meal, then this best red wine sangria recipe is perfect for you. This fruity cocktail is made with red wine, a little brandy, orange liquor, simple syrup, flavorful fruit and sprite. Serve this refreshing party drink in a pitcher or by the glass. If you love red wine cocktails you’ll love this. This is the absolute best sangria recipe and perfect for summer, winter, parties, brunches, date night or any time of year! Table of Contents What is Sangria? Why You’ll Love This Ingredients Recommended ToolsInstructionsStef says….How to Make Sangria Non-Alcoholic Recipe Tips Andrea says….What To Serve With The Best Red Wine SangriaMore Cocktail RecipesHow To StoreCommon QuestionsThe Best Red Wine Sangria You can make a non-alcoholic version of sangria as well! We have substitution recommendations for you below. What is Sangria? Sangria is a mixed alcoholic drink originally from Spain. It usually contains fruit juice, wine, liqueur, sweeteners, sparkling water and fruit, such as oranges, apples, lemons, pears, limes or pineapple. There are red or white wine sangrias. The color depends on the wine. Red sangria is made with red wine, and white sangria with white wine. Use different fruits and flavors to make a fall sangria, holiday sangria, summer sangria or sangria for any occasion. Typical Sangria ingredients are: Fruit juice, such as orange juice, apple juice, or pomegranate juice. Sweeteners such as simple syrup, agave nectar, maple syrup or sugar. Sparkling water, club soda or flavored soda. Sliced fruit including oranges, apples, lemons, pears, limes, pineapple and more. Flavored liqueurs, brandy, or cognac. Why You’ll Love This Notable: sweet cocktail that combines fresh fruity flavors with red wine and liqueurs, perfect for hot summer days or winter months Main Ingredients: red Spanish wine, orange, strawberries, apple, Grand Marnier, brandy, simple syrup, Sprite Cooking Method: no bake Cooking Time: 15 minutes of prep time, 30 minutes chill time Pairs well with: Spanish and Italian dishes Diets: gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan Special Equipment Needed: large pitcher, spoon or swizzle stick Ingredients You may have all of these ingredients for this red wine sangria recipe in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store! If this is your first time making this best summer sangria recipe you might want to read the possible variations before deciding on your ingredients. Sangria Ingredients 750 ml red wine (one standard bottle of wine) 1 navel orange (sliced) 2 cups strawberries (stems removed) 1 green apple (sliced) ¼ cup Grand Marnier ¼ cup brandy ½ cup simple sirup 8 oz. Sprite Optional Garnish whole strawberries Variations and Substitutions Wine: A Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Rioja wine, Garnacha or other Spanish red wines would taste great in this recipe. Fruit: Add any fruit you prefer. We recommend apple, orange and strawberries. Alcohol: Orange liqueur and brandy really make this delicious Spanish drink perfect. We used Grand Marnier as the orange liqueur. Sugar: Use a simple syrup (homemade) or store bought to sweeten the sangria. If you want to know more about how to make, flavor or store simple syrup, take a look at our detailed Simple Syrup post. Sprite: We love using just plain sprite for this sangria recipe, but you can substitute club soda, 7up or Sierra Mist if you like. You could even try ginger ale, in a pinch. Make it citrusy: Add the juice of a lime to your authentic Spanish sangria. Include a sliced up lime as well. Make it berry: Use your favorite berries as fruit instead of the apple and oranges. Make it less sweet: Eliminate the simple syrup. WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you loved this red wine sangria recipe, then try our Holiday Cranberry Sangria. This fruity and boozy holiday sangria is a blend of easy cranberry simple syrup, cranberry juice, red wine, spiced rum and sparkling apple cider. Recommended Tools Links to our favorite tools are affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link we may get a tiny portion of the sale. Large Pitcher – We love making this recipe directly in a large glass sangria pitcher. This way you can make, chill and serve the sangria in the same container. Instructions This section shows how to make the best red wine sangria, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below. PREPARE FRUIT: Firstly, slice the fruit how large or small you like it to be. Then add sliced fruit to a pitcher or punch bowl. Keep in mind you’ll need to refrigerate once you mix it all together so your container will need to fit into your refrigerator. ADD ALCOHOL: Afterwards pour wine into the pitcher. Then add Grand Marnier (orange liqueur), brandy, and simply syrup and stir to combine. You can use a wooden spoon or a swizzle stick. CHILL: Cover and refrigerate sangria for at least 30 minutes. We recommend refrigerating for at least 2+ hours for best results. Definitely refrigerate before adding ice. FINISH AND SERVE: Finally, add Sprite and ice just before serving. Then serve the red sangria over ice cubes in a wine glass, or any type of glass you prefer. WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love Italian food then you’ll love our Easy Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole. This delicious and saucy meatball pasta casserole comes together in only 10 minutes and bakes to al dente perfection in the oven. And goes perfectly with a pitcher of sangria. Stef says…. I love serving fruity and refreshing sangria at summer parties and bbqs. Two of my absolute favorite flavors are Strawberry Sangria and Summer Peach Sangria. There is just nothing better than sipping a fun and fruity cocktail in the summer sun! How to Make Sangria Non-Alcoholic You can make this a virgin sangria by substituting all the alcohol. Here are substitutions we recommend. Red Wine: Use pomegranate juice, cranberry juice, grape juice or a sparkling grape juice, for example. Grand Marnier (orange liquor): Use ¼ cup of orange juice concentrate. Brandy: Use a sweet fruit juice such as apple juice. Recipe Tips Follow these tips to make the best red wine sangria. Tip: Use GOOD red wine. Your sangria will only be as good as the wine you use. Tip: Use ripe, fresh fruit for best flavor. Tip: If possible, make the sangria a couple of hours before serving. This allows the flavors to blend properly and intensify. Add the sprite right before serving. Andrea says…. This “Best Ever” Sangria Recipe is always a big hit with friends at summer backyard gatherings. Even though there are a lot of ingredients in this recipe, it is absolutely worth making. Once you’ve invested in the ingredients you can make it all summer long! What To Serve With The Best Red Wine Sangria We love to drink this red sangria all by itself. But you can also serve it alongside a Spanish or Italian inspired meal. Try one of these delicious recipes: Main Dishes: Serve this amazing red wine sangria with Italian Meatballs, Easy Lasagna, or Chicken in White Wine Sauce with Mushrooms. It also pairs well with our delicious homemade Marinara Sauce. Salad: Pair this easy sangria recipe with a fresh salad. A green salad like our amazing Italian Salad or even a Caprese Salad with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil or Tortellini Pasta Salad. Bread: Traditionally, Italian dishes are served with Garlic Bread made with fresh parmesan cheese and store-bought French bread. If you have extra time make Pizza Dough Garlic Knots. The Best Marinara Sauce Easy Italian Salad Recipe With Homemade Salad Dressing Chicken in White Wine Sauce Easy Lasagna More Cocktail Recipes If you love fruity and boozy drinks as much as we do, then you have to try our other hot and cold cocktail recipes: The Best Holiday Cranberry Sangria (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years) Dirty Shirley Drink Blackberry Gin Cocktail Recipe Spiked Apple Cider How To Store Refrigerate: Sangria leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days. Afterwards it will begin to sour. Additionally we recommend separating the fruit from the liquid for longer storage. Add fresh fruit before serving leftovers to avoid soggy and unappetizing fruit. Freeze: Leftover sangria can be frozen. Firstly, separate the fruit from the liquid. Then you can freeze sangria in an airtight freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Defrosting: A great way to thaw frozen sangria is in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight. Common Questions Can I make this crowd-pleasing cocktail recipe non-alcoholic? Yes! Simply use grape or pomegranate juice instead of the red wine, use apple juice instead of the brandy and orange juice concentrate instead of the orange liqueur. Is it OK to add other fruits to this homemade sangria? Of course. In fact you can add any kind of fruit to this traditional sangria you like. Try blackberries, peaches, pineapple, citrus fruits, or cherries, for example, or use whatever seasonal fruit you prefer. 5 from 97 votes The Best Red Wine Sangria Author Andrea + Stef Course Drinks Cuisine Spanish Prep Time 15 minutes minutes Total Time 45 minutes minutes Print Pin Rate 6 servings This Red Wine Sangria is a bold, fruity blend of red wine, citrus, and strawberry with a hint of booze and bubbles! Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark Equipmentlarge pitcher or punch bowllong spoon or swizzle stick Ingredients 1x2x3x▢ 750 ml red wine Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Garnacha (one standard bottle)▢ 1 orange sliced▢ 2 cups strawberries stems removed▢ 1 apple sliced▢ ¼ cup Grand Marnier▢ ¼ cup brandy▢ ½ cup simple syrup▢ 8 oz. Sprite (or Club Soda) InstructionsAdd sliced fruit to a pitcher or punch bowl. Pour wine into the pitcher. Add Grand Marnier, brandy, and simply syrup and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate sangria for at least 30 minutes, but ideally 2+ hours.Add Sprite or club soda and ice just before serving. NutritionCalories: 277kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 31mg | Potassium: 322mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 66IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 2mg Did you create this? Share it on Instagram and follow us on Pinterest for more cleverly simply recipes. Email Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe PinShareTweet
Nic says May 9, 2022May 09, 2022 at 2:37 pm This was absolutely delicious! We made the non-alcoholic version for the kids. Such a great summer drink and so beautiful! Reply
Suja md says May 9, 2022May 09, 2022 at 3:22 pm This looks really delicious and fairly simple to make! Can’t wait to try it out! thanks for the recipe 🙂 Reply
Mariana says May 9, 2022May 09, 2022 at 3:33 pm Summer is almost here and this recipe sounds great to try it. Reply
Silvia @ Garden in the Kitchen says May 9, 2022May 09, 2022 at 3:40 pm Thank you for this sangria recipe, it looks so tasty and refreshing. I cannot wait to try it! Reply
Tayler Ross says May 9, 2022May 09, 2022 at 5:02 pm This is my absolute favorite sangria recipe! I’ve made it several times and it tastes great every time. Reply
Allyssa says May 10, 2022May 10, 2022 at 1:47 pm My new favorite! This tasted so amazing! Thanks a lot for sharing this super easy to make red wine sangria recipe! Fam really loves it! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended! Reply
Sean says May 10, 2022May 10, 2022 at 6:44 pm I had never put Sprite in my sangria before, and this was delightful! Reply
Savita says May 11, 2022May 11, 2022 at 1:55 pm This looks absolutely gorgeous, I never had sangria before and this one looks amazing. Reply
Jacqui says May 21, 2022May 21, 2022 at 6:53 pm I made this for a girls garden party – and everyone loved it! So delicious and also decorative when served in a pretty pitcher. Reply
stef says January 23, 2025January 23, 2025 at 8:13 pm Hi Vicky, 3-5 day if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Less if you simply cover the pitcher with plastic wrap. You could also remove all the fruit before storing in the fridge to prolong its life a bit. Reply
Carole Livingston says January 20, 2023January 20, 2023 at 11:09 am Made this and served with very positive comments. Very tasty 😋 Reply