Sangria: Simple Summer Sipping

If you're having some friends or family over for an outdoor gathering this summer, why not treat them (and yourself) to some Sangria?

A concoction of wine and fruit poured over ice, everything about Sangria just speaks of warm weather. It's easy, casual, fun, fruity, refreshing -- and it goes great with anything off the grill. Just like summertime.

I tend to think of Sangria as a wine punch. It was created in Spain, but it became popular in the United States when it was brought to the 1964 World's Fair in New York.

Sangria most often features red wine, brandy and fruit. But one of the things that makes Sangria so wonderful is its flexibility. You can substitute white wine for a Sangria Blanco (great with fish and seafood). If you add some seltzer water or lemon-lime soda, you get a bubbly beverage. Or if you replace the brandy with orange juice, orange-flavored liqueur or triple sec you get different flavor altogether. And playing around to find your favorite flavors is a lot of fun. Just make sure you've got some friends who are willing to help you get rid of your "experiments."

I have two sun tea jars -- each with a spigot at the bottom for pouring. I use one for iced tea and the other for Sangria. I try to keep the Sangria jar going all summer long by fishing out used fruit, adding fresh fruit, and topping the whole thing off with more red wine when necessary. (Shh! I've even been known to dump the remainder of a bottle of wine from dinner into the jar instead of recorking it for another night.)

For Sangria, I always start with a nice bottle of table wine. Don't get anything that you wouldn't normally drink because you will taste the wine -- even with all the goodies in it. But don't use anything too expensive, either. Save that bottle for a special occasion.

After pouring the wine in the jar, add some orange juice to taste, some slices of lemon or lime, some chunks of oranges (or whatever fruit is around -- mango, kiwi, strawberries, pineapple, nectarines and peaches are all great additions) and let it sit overnight in the fridge. This lets the flavors mingle better than Paris Hilton at a Hollywood soiree.

Taste the Sangria the next day before your guests' arrival so you can tweak the flavors a bit (add some juice, brandy, liqueur or sugar if you want). Serve the Sangria over ice in large wine glasses or margarita glasses. You can even add a slice of fruit on the side.

Then, sit back and enjoy the compliments!

Lisa Morrison's award-winning column, Liquid Solutions, explores the world of beverages. A new column shows up right here every other week.