White Wine Sangria
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A pitcher of this easy white wine sangria is just the thing for warm-weather gatherings—it’s simple to prepare and always a hit.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
Whenever we visit my parents in Florida, we have dinner at Columbia, a Spanish/Cuban restaurant on Sarasota’s St. Armand’s Circle. Mike and I always share a pitcher of their white wine sangria, which the server prepares tableside for a little drama.
It’s easy to replicate at home. For starters, there’s no need to use an expensive wine—just pick up something inexpensive (and grab an extra bottle, since it tends to disappear quickly!). Sparkling wine also makes a wonderful stand-in if you want something a bit lighter and more festive. The recipe is easy to customize with whatever fruit you have on hand, and it’s best made a little ahead so the flavors have time to meld in the fridge.
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White Wine Sangria
Ingredients
- 1 oz (2 tablespoons) brandy or cognac
- 1 oz (2 tablespoons) orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
- ⅓ cup superfine sugar (see note)
- 1 orange, halved
- 2 limes (you'll need the juice of one lime for the sangria and the other lime for garnish)
- 1 small apple, such as Fuji or Honeycrisp, peeled and chopped
- 1 nectarine, chopped
- 1 (750-ml) bottle chilled white wine (or sparkling wine, such as Cava, Prosecco or Champagne)
- 8 oz lemon-lime soda, such as Sprite
- A few bunches frozen grapes
Instructions
- In a large pitcher, combine the brandy, orange liqueur and sugar. Squeeze juice from one lime and one orange half into the pitcher. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Slice the remaining orange half into thin slices and add to pitcher, then add chopped apples and nectarines. Add the sparkling wine, lemon-lime soda and a large bunch of frozen grapes. Place ice cubes in glasses (do not put them in the pitcher or they’ll water the drink down) along with small bunches of frozen grapes and pour sangria over top. Spoon chopped fruit into glasses, garnish with lime slices if desired and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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What’s not to love! 😃
Can’t wait to try this and the Columbia restaurant. We love Crab and Fin in Sarasota as well.
I can’t wait to try this! As someone who doesn’t cook, your recipes are my go-to for everything and make me look competent haha. Quick question, and I know a few have already asked something similar, but maybe not as specifically:
Can everything EXCEPT the sparkling wine, lemon-lime soda and frozen grapes be prepared, tossed together to ‘marinate’, and refrigerated beforehand? For example, the night before… (And then can the frozen/fizzy stuff be added right before serving, for example, the next morning?)
So glad you like the recipes and they boost your kitchen confidence! 😊
I think you could do what you’re suggesting, but I’d suggest waiting until shortly before serving to add the nectarines and oranges; I’d be concerned they’d get soggy if they were added to the liquid the night before.
I have made this sangria multiple times and it has always been a hit. I was trying to recreate this as a fancy beverage for prom dinner. Do you have any suggestions for substitutions? Or do you have another drink recommendation without alcohol? Thanks for your wonderful recipes.
Unfortunately, I don’t think this will translate well to no alcohol. An alternative is purchasing bottled sparkling seltzer and adding diced fruit to it. Hope the kids have a great time!
This recipe sounds fabulous. I have one question can I substitute Pinot Grigio
instead of Presecco? Thank you
Sure, Karen, that’s fine — just keep in mind that it won’t be bubbly. I’d love to hear what you think if you try it!
I would like to serve this with your Peruvian chicken but due to allergies to stone fruits, would it work to leave out the peaches and what would be a good substitute for them? Thank you!
Hi Phyllis, you can replace the peaches with more apple. It will still be delicious. Enjoy!
This was an excellent white sangria – even the men enjoyed it! A few asked for the recipe which I gladly shared along with your website. Will definitely make again! Thanks
This was delicious and so pretty sitting in the pitcher on the table! I made 3 pitchers in one weekend! Anytime I’m looking to make something I search your website first! I have made over 50 of your recipes and the way you write them with tips and sourcing savvy is so fool proof!
🙂
Hi Jenn,
I’m making this for a party next Saturday. I understand the need to make this shortly before serving, but I’d like to cut up the fruit in advance. Any suggestions on how far in advance I can do that and/or what I can do to make sure the fruit doesn’t brown or get mushy? Any suggestions will be appreciated. Can’t wait for your new cookbook to be out. It will give me something to do during cold months.
Sandy
Hi Sandy, Thanks for your support with the cookbook! I think you could get away with cutting up the fruit the morning of the party. I’d store each fruit separately and toss the chopped up apple with just a touch of lemon juice to keep it from browning. Hope that helps and that everyone enjoys!
If you are wondering what to serve at your next book club, ladies lunch, on the patio on a hot summer evening – look no further! This is a perfectly balanced and refreshing Sangria. I promise you will be happy you made it!