With summer slipping away, grab hold of every last moment. Invite friends over; fire up the grill; set out the salty snacks. And whip up a jug of sangria. Doesn’t cost much. Everyone loves it. And suddenly you’re laughing, talking and making memories. These six wines and the recipe below set you up for a great wine punch.
2024 Beronia Viura Rioja DOC, Spain
Score 90
(LCBO 44526, $13.95)
Viura is one of Spain’s most widely-planted white grapes, prized for its subtlety and freshness. And this expression is a gem. It tastes lifted and bright while alluding to grapefruit and pear, salt and white pepper with a nice flinty undertow. That profile works well with lemon-lime soda, brandy and triple sec, while the wine’s relative restraint makes it a rather sophisticated base for sangria. Garnish with wheels of white grapefruit, chopped Granny Smith apple and a sprig of rosemary. Then set out the bowls of olives and Marcona almonds. (12.5% alc., 2 g/L sugar)
2025 Toro Bravo Verdejo Sauvignon Blanc, D.O. La Mancha, Spain
Score 91
(LCBO 36909, $19.45/1.5L bottle)
For a more fruit-forward style of white sangria, choose this magnum — which is large enough to make a double batch. The wine’s citrusy scent is summertime in a glass while its lip-smacking, passionfruit-lime character amplifies the lemon lime soda in the sangria recipe. Play up the triple sec with some oranges for garnish along with lime and juicy stone fruit. Then, serve it with fish tacos, melon and prosciutto skewers or spicy grilled shrimp. Or even just a big bowl of salty potato chips. (11.5% alc., 3 g/L sugar)
2023 Pelee Island Pelee Pink, VQA Ontario
Score 92
(LCBO 529354, $11.95 till Aug. 16, reg. $13.95)
This local, candy-coloured rosé makes a marvellous sangria that gleams a glorious deep pink. A smart little blend of 86 per cent Chambourcin and 14 per cent Vidal, each glassful gives rise to wild strawberry and blood orange aromas and flavours with a gentle tug of grapefruit. With the sweet tart soda, brandy and triple sec, this bottle makes a crowd-pleasing pitcher that looks especially fresh with lemon slices, berries and a sprig of mint. Delicious with hard cheeses and mixed nuts. (12.5% alc., 14 g/L sugar)
2024 Castillo de Luna Organic Tempranillo Cabernet D.O. Utiel-Requena, Spain
Score 94
(LCBO 44500, $9.95)
For a slightly brooding, earthy sangria built for cooler evenings, this is the wine of choice. The blackberry and stewed damson perfume draws you in before giving way to dark fig and blackberry flavours laced with leather, peppercorn and a touch of creamy-nuttiness that lingers. The lemon lime soda lifts the fruit. The brandy and triple sec enhance the pepper spice. And the overall impression keeps you sipping. Garnish with blackberries and oranges. Then set out the charcuterie and Manchego for a wine-bar-inspired spread. (12.5% alc., 4 g/L sugar)
2024 José Maria da Fonseca Waterdog Red, Vinho Regional Lisboa, Portugal
Score 91
(LCBO 19452, $13.05)
For a decadent, almost dessert-leaning sangria, start with this little Portuguese number. Cigar box and roasted hazelnut aromas move to a rush of muddled blackberry, cherry-vanilla and blood orange character nuanced with nuts, tobacco and pink peppercorn. The soda brightens the ripe fruit while the brandy and triple sec enhance the experience. Float black cherries and sliced navel oranges in this jug of sangria and serve it with bacon-wrapped dates, grilled sausage bites and sautéed mushroom toasts. Then, expect to make another jug. (13% alc., 6 g/L sugar)
CAROLYN’S PICK OF THE WEEK
2024 Finca Sophenia Altosur Organic Malbec Gualtallary Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina
Score 96
(LCBO 13113, $15.95)
This red becomes a relatively rich sangria with some backbone. Poached plum and blackberry aromas lead to a deep, cocoa and berry wash threaded with toasted tobacco. Those flavours hold their own against the soda and brandy for a plush, persistent punch that leaves behind a charcoal finish. This bottle is built for those who don’t think they like Malbec, let alone Malbec sangria. Use sliced plums, blackberries and orange wheels as your fruit and garnish. Then serve it with grilled steak skewers or dark chocolate covered almonds. (14% alc., 4 g/L sugar)
Carolyn Evans Hammond’s Sangria
Ingredients
750 mL of wine
750 ml of lemon-lime soda
30 ml brandy
30 ml triple sec
One heaping cup of sliced fruit of your choice.
Instructions
Pour the wine, brandy, triple sec and fruit in a large jug. Stir well.
Add lemon-lime soda and ice. Stir gently a few times just to combine, as not to flatten the soda.
