This summer recipe for white wine Sangria can be made with just 3 ingredients but you can also customize it to your liking by adding some Cointreau or another liqueur.
One of the best summer cocktails is Sangria, whether it’s made with white or red wine.
The traditional Spanish Sangria is made with red wine, fruits and spices and according to general belief the recipe was developed in a try to make cheap wine more drinkable. This 5-ingredient red wine Sangria is one of the easiest and most delicious recipes.
However, Sangria can also be made with white wine.
White wine Sangria is flavored with citrus and summer fruit like peaches, cherries, melon and grapes. For more exotic notes you can also use mango, pineapple, papaya.
Extra alcohol is optional. If you like, you can add some brandy, Peach Schnapps, Grand Marnier or Cointreau, Limoncello and even St Germain liqueur.
If you like bubbles you can make make it with Prosecco, but the procedure I follow when using a bubbly wine is a little bit different because I try to save as many bubbles as I can (more details in the recipe notes at the end of this post).
White Sangria Ingredients
The 3 basic ingredients for this drink are:
White wine: There’s no need for an expensive wine, just use a fruity, refreshing white wine you enjoy drinking on its own.
Fresh fruit: You can actually use whatever fruit you prefer. Most commonly, citrus fruit, apples, peaches, mango and pineapple are used.
Orange juice: A little bit of orange juice makes this drink more refreshing. If your wine is low in alcohol (less than 13.5%) you may want to add a bit of liqueur or brandy to lift it back up.
Optionally you can also add:
Extra alcohol: brandy, Peach Schnapps, Grand Marnier, Cointreau ,Triple Sec, St Germain liqueur, Limoncello.
Bubbles: I personally feel that the addition of (plain or citrus flavored) seltzer water dilutes the flavor of Sangria, so If I want to make it bubbly I add Prosecco or Moscato D’ Asti just before serving.
How to make it
Get a large jag and mix all of the ingredients together.
Is this enough?
No, for the best results you should store it in the fridge for 12-24 hours for all the flavors to come together.
Good white wine Sangria should be fruity and aromatic. For this to happen, the wine needs some time to absorb the aroma of the fruit.
Do you need ice to make Sangria?
I try not to add ice to my Sangria because it thins it out and makes it less amazing.
That’s why I always store it in the fridge from the night before, something that serves two reasons: First, the Sangria has the chance to mature and secondly it becomes cold enough so that it doesn’t need ice.
For the times when it’s very hot and you need an extra cold cocktail, then making wine ice cubes and adding them to your Sangria is the best option which will not let your drink get watered down.
How to make white sangria with Prosecco
Prosecco and any other bubbly wine like Moscato D’Asti or Champagne start to lose their bubbles once opened.
If you want to make Sangria using only a bubbly wine then you’ll have to serve it immediately (this means no time for the fruit to properly infuse the wine).
Another solution is to use half a bottle of white wine to soak the fruit and add half a bottle of bubbly wine before serving (or double the fruit and use 1 bottle still white wine and 1 bottle of bubbles).
The best wines for white Sangria
Except the grape variety, another thing that affects the character of a wine is whether it has been aged in oak barrels or stainless steel tanks.
White wines that have been aged in oak barrels have notes of vanilla, butter, caramel and even smoke. These wines are usually pricier.
Whites that have been aged in stainless steel tanks are fruitier and fresher (and for my taste more suitable for Sangria).
When it comes to choosing the white wine for your sangria your best bet are dryer, more acidic, and crisp fresh whites.
Some suggestions are wines of the following varieties:
Sauvignon Blanc: This variety is a crowd pleaser. It has medium+ acidity with notes of melon, exotic fruits, grapefruit, peach, pear and gooseberry.
Pinot Grigio: medium+ acidity with notes of white peach, lemon zest, melon and almond.
Chardonnay: Medium acidity and notes of yellow apple, hay, pineapple, vanilla and butter.
Viognier: Medium-low acidity with notes of tangerine, peach, mango, honeysuckle and rose petals.
Moscato: Medium acidity with notes of mandarin orange, honey, peach, white flowers and orange blossoms.
Roussanne: medium acidity with notes of Meyer lemon, apricot, beeswax, chamomile and brioche.
Assyrtiko: Greek variety with high acidity and notes of lime, lemon, orange blossoms, honey and minerals.
Visit winefolly.com for more grape varieties and their characteristics.
The Fruit
Try adding to your white wine Sangria some of the following fruit (diced or sliced):
- Citrus (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit)
- Apples
- Peaches and nectarines
- Apricots
- Melon
- Mango
- Pineapple
- Pear
- Cherries
- Strawberries
Whatever fruit you choose, make sure they’re sweet, ripe and juicy. Also, the more colors of fruit you choose, the better!
What to serve with white sangria
- Cheese
- Seafood dishes
- Pita bread tacos (Pitacos)
- Chicken empanadas
- Serve it next to a Greek meze platter
- Baked feta cheese with tomatoes and peppers
- Mediterranean pizza
- Fresh fruit
- Nuts
- Pop corn
- Tortilla chips and pita chips
- 1 bottle (750 ml) white wine
- 1/2 Green apple, sliced or chopped
- 1 peach, peeled and chopped
- 1 lime, sliced
- 1 orange, sliced
- 1 cup strawberries, cut in half
- 1/2 cup cherries, pited and cut in half
- 1/4 cup (60 grams) orange juice
- 1/4 cup (60 grams) peach Schnapps or Cointreau (optional)
- 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 grams) maple syrup or sugar (optional)
- a few mint leaves (optional)
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Transfer the white wine, the fruits and the orange juice to a large jag and stir gently.
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Taste the Sangria and add the maple syrup and the Cointreau or peach Schnapps if you feel it needs it.
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Cover the jag with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
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Serve.
- If you want the sangria extra cold you can make wine ice cubes to serve it with . This way the flavor of your drink won’t be diluted.
- For a bubbly white Sangria I suggest using half a bottle of still white wine to soak the fruit and add half a bottle of Prosecco or Moscato D’ Asti just before serving. I usually avoid adding seltzer water because it dilutes the flavor.
- Orange juice will make the Sangria a bit cloudy. This is normal.
- Instead of peach Schnapps or Cointreau you can use Grand Marnier, Triple Sec, brandy, cognac, St Germain liqueur or limoncello.
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