THE 8 BEST SANGRIA AND MULLED WINE RECIPES
Two creative and unique wine options that are sure to be crowd pleasers this holiday season are sangrias and mulled wines. Sangria is a delicious drink that originated in Spain and Portugal, and typically consists of red wine, chopped fruit (orange, lemon, lime, apple, peach, berries, etc.), a sweetener (honey, sugar, syrup, or orange juice), and a small amount of fruit-flavored brandy. Lemon-lime soda, club soda, or seltzer water are also acceptable alternatives to brandy. Sangria can also be made with white wine, and white sangria is often accompanied by chopped peaches, nectarines, or mango. Sangria is very popular around the world, and is often an excellent choice for people who are new to wine or do not care for vino on its own.
Celebrity chef and TV personality @ChefJamika told us that she “love[s] a fruity white sangria!” You can learn more about Chef Jamika Pessoa by visiting www.chefjamika.com.
On the other hand, mulled wine is made with red wine (usually port and claret), various mulling spices (cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg), and raisins, and is a traditional hot/warm holiday drink served around the world. Mulled wine was produced as early as the second century, and is comparable to wassail and hot apple cider.
Wine.net has gathered eight outstanding and easy-to-make recipes for sangria and mulled wine that any wine enthusiast should be sure to make for their family and friends this holiday season. We hope you enjoy our selections!
Teresa Howe (@skinnytinis) is a nutrition expert, fitness enthusiast, and health advocate whose philosophy is, “it’s not about being perfect, it’s about being better.” You can learn more by visiting www.teresamariewellness.com. She was kind enough to share the following recipe with us:
Festive Spiced Wine
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle red wine
- ¾ cup Bulleit Bourbon
- 1 ½ cups orange juice
- 2 ¼ cups apple cider
- 1 sliced apple
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 12 fresh cloves
Directions: Add all ingredients to a large pot and simmer on stove at low for 20 minutes. Strain into a pitcher or punch bowl and serve slightly warm. Cheers!
Nutritional Information: Recipe makes twelve 5-ounce servings that each contain around 110 calories.
is a meal planning and recipe sharing website featuring thousands of unique and innovative creations. Learn more by visiting www.myrecipes.com or @My_Recipes on Twitter. We have selected the following sangria recipe by @Southern_Living for your tasting pleasure:
Carolina Peach Sangria
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle rosé wine
- ¾ cup vodka
- ½ cup peach nectar
- 6 tablespoons thawed frozen lemonade concentrate
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 pound peeled and sliced ripe peaches
- 1 package fresh raspberries
- 2 cups chilled club soda
Directions: Combine first five ingredients in a pitcher and stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in peaches and raspberries. Cover and chill for 8 hours. Stir in chilled club soda just before serving.
Williams-Sonoma is a United States-based store that sells kitchen- and housewares and a variety of specialty foods. Williams-Sonoma also owns Pottery Barn, West Elm, and several other companies. Learn more by visiting www.williams-sonoma.com or @WilliamsSonoma on Twitter. We selected this tasty mulled wine recipe from their website:
Mulled Wine
Ingredients:
- 2 bottles dry red wine
- 12 whole cloves
- 2 nutmegs, cracked into pieces with a hammer
- ½ cup sugar
- Zest from 2 oranges and 2 lemons, plus more zest for garnish
- ¾ cup fresh orange juice
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 cinnamon sticks
Directions: Tie the cloves and nutmeg pieces into a small square of cheesecloth, or put them in a large metal tea ball. In a large non-aluminum pot, combine wine, sugar, orange, and lemon zests, orange and lemon juices, and cinnamon sticks. Add the clove and nutmeg bundle. Heat over medium-low heat until steam begins to rise from the pot and the mixture is hot (about 10 minutes), but do not let it boil. Remove the clove and nutmeg bundle. Keep the wine warm over very low heat until ready to serve. Ladle the wine into cups or heatproof glasses, garnish with the citrus zest, and serve warm. Recipe makes eight to ten servings.
is a healthy living website that promotes health awareness and clean living. You can learn more by visiting their website, www.prevention.com or @PreventionMag on Twitter. Their site offered the following refreshing and dietetic sangria recipe:
Cherry Sangria
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle red wine
- 2 cups frozen pitted cherries
- 1 cup halved red grapes
- 2 small oranges sliced into thin rounds
- 1 cup tart cherry juice
Directions: Mix all ingredients together in a pitcher. Refrigerate at least four hours before serving. Serve over ice.
Nutritional Information: 130 calories, 15 grams of carbohydrates, and 11 grams of sugar per serving.
is a food and drink blog run by a woman named Ali and centered around creating recipes that are fresh, creative, quick, easy, and perfect for sharing. Learn more at www.gimmesomeoven.com and @gimmesomeoven on Twitter. Here is Ali’s recipe for a healthy and satisfying sangria:
The Best Sangria
Ingredients:
- 2 bottles dry red wine, such as cabernet sauvignon or merlot
- 1 cup brandy
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¼ cup orange liqueur
- 1 pound hulled and halved strawberries
- 3 thinly sliced oranges
- 3 thinly sliced limes
- 2 thinly sliced lemons
- 4 cups fresh arugula
- 1 can lemon-lime soda (optional)
Directions:
Stir together wine, brandy, sugar, and orange liqueur in a large pitcher until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the arugula, and use a wooden spoon to muddle/crush the arugula so that the flavor is released. Add strawberries, lime, lemon, and orange to the wine mixture and lightly muddle the fruit to release juices. Cover and refrigerate for anywhere from two to twenty-four hours. Stir in soda if desired, then strain and serve over ice.
Cooking Light is a nutrition, healthy living, recipe, and diet website that also puts out a monthly print magazine. Learn more by visiting www.cookinglight.com or @Cooking_Light. Their website shared the following seasonal sangria recipe:
Winter Sangria
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle fruity red wine
- 1 cup satsuma orange juice
- 1 cup satsuma orange sections
- ⅓ cup triple sec
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
- 1 lime, cut into 8 wedges
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a pitcher and stir until sugar dissolves. Cover and refrigerate for four hours or overnight.
Deep South Dish is a food and drink website dedicated to Southern soul food, cooking techniques, and recipes. The author’s name is Mary. Learn more at www.deepsouthdish.com or @DeepSouthDish on Twitter. Here is their recipe for a delicious winter sangria:
Cranberry Pomegranate Winter Sangria
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle white zinfandel
- 4 cups cranberry juice
- 2 cups pomegranate juice
- 1 cup orange juice
- ¾ cup simple syrup
- 1 unpeeled and cored apple, quartered and thinly sliced
- 1 orange, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 lemon, halved and thinly sliced
- ½ cup fresh cranberries
- ¼ cup pomegranate seeds
- San Pellegrino sparkling water
Directions: Combine all ingredients in an extra large storage container; taste and adjust flavors to your liking. Chill at least four hours or overnight. Stir before serving and transfer to pitchers or pour by the glass. Use a pair of tongs to extract some of the fruit for each glass, add ice to glasses, and then fill, leaving around an inch of free space at the top. Top each glass with a splash of San Pellegrino and lightly stir. Serves six to eight.
Men’s Journal is a website and print magazine dedicated to travel, men’s health and fitness, food and drink, and men’s style. Learn more by visiting www.mensjournal.com or @MensJournal on Twitter. Here is their flavorful and satisfying recipe for mulled wine:
The Getaway Driver Mulled Wine
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle Napa Valley red wine
- 1 bottle triple sec
- 1 cup Four Roses bourbon
- 3 ¼ cups cranberry juice
- 1 cup orange juice
- 16 ounces spiced syrup (star anise, cinnamon sticks, allspice, and cloves) packaged in cheese cloth
- 1 Granny Smith or Fuji apple, thinly sliced
- 1 orange, thinly sliced
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, thinly sliced
Directions: Add all ingredients to a large pot and gently simmer on low for at least 20 minutes, allowing the flavors to infuse. Remove the spice package and serve in a warm mug or handled glass. Makes 20 to 22 six-ounce servings.