White wine sangria is a fruity punch full of light, sweet flavors. A good white wine sangria recipe offers a lighter alternative to traditional red wine sangria, and it's perfect for picnics, parties, and more. Try these four recipes for white wine sangria; you're sure to find one you enjoy as a fruity summer favorite.
Basic Recipe for White Wine Sangria
This recipe adheres pretty closely to the classic Spanish sangria recipe, only it uses white wine instead of red. It makes about eight 6-ounce servings.
Ingredients
- 1 bottle of dry white wine
- 1/4 cup brandy
- 1/4 cup simple syrup
- Juice of 2 oranges
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 2 cups soda water, chilled
- Mint leaves and orange wedges for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pitcher, combine the wine, brandy, simple syrup, and orange and lemon juice.
- Refrigerate for three hours or up to overnight.
- Just before serving, add the soda water.
- Serve chilled or over ice. Garnish with sprigs of mint and orange wedges if desired.
White Wine Apricot Sangria
This sangria uses the Italian sparkling white wine, Moscato d'Asti, which is lightly sweet with fruity hints of apricots in the wine. The sangria also has floating wedges of apricots to pick up those flavors in the wine. It makes about eight 6-ounce servings.
Ingredients
- 1 750 mL bottle of Moscato d'Asti, chilled
- 1/4 cup Armagnac
- 1/4 cup simple syrup
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 3 apricots, pitted and cut into wedges
- 2 1/2 cups soda water, chilled
- Mint leaves for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pitcher, combine the Moscato d'Asti, Armagnac, simple syrup, lemon juice, apricots, and soda water. Mix well.
- Add the mint leaves for garnish. Serve chilled or over ice.
Peach Raspberry Sangria
Pinot Grigio is another delicious wine to use in sangria because it has a light fruitiness to it. This recipe makes about eight 6-ounce servings.
Ingredients
- 1 750 mL bottle of Pinot Grigio
- 1/4 cup Grand Marnier
- 1 shot amaretto liqueur
- 2 tablespoons super-fine sugar
- Juice from 1 lemon
- Juice from one orange
- 1 pint of raspberries
- 2 peaches, pitted and cut into wedges or chunks
- 2 cups soda water, chilled
- Mint leaves for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pitcher, combine the Pinot Grigio, Grand Marnier, amaretto, sugar, lemon juice, orange juice, raspberries, and peaches. Mix until the sugar is dissolved.
- Refrigerate for at least three hours or up to overnight.
- Stir in the soda water.
- Serve chilled or over ice, garnished with mint if desired.
Apple Citrus Sangria
This sangria, made with a dry Riesling, picks up apple and citrus notes from the wine. It's light and refreshing, and it makes about eight 6-ounce servings.
Ingredients
- 1 750 mL bottle of dry Riesling
- 1/4 cup apple brandy
- 2 tablespoons super-fine sugar
- Juice from 2 oranges
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 2 apples, cored and sliced
- 2 oranges, cut into quarters or slices
- 1 cup soda water, chilled
- 1 cup sparkling apple cider, chilled
Instructions
- In a large pitcher, combine the Riesling, apple brandy, super-fine sugar, orange juice, lemon juice, apples, and oranges. Mix well.
- Refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.
- Stir in the soda water and apple cider. Serve chilled or on ice.
Make White Wine Sangria Your Own
It's easy to customize a white wine sangria to meet your tastes, use seasonal fruit, and add the white wines you enjoy. There's a basic formula you can easily follow.
White Wine Choices
You'll need one bottle of a dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, a crisp Chardonnay from Chablis in Burgundy, Viognier from France, or Torrontés from Argentina. There aren't any wrong choices, although it's best to avoid super sweet wines or wines that have been heavily oaked. You can even choose a sparkling wine and turn your sangria into a Champagne punch. If you do use a sparkling wine, make sure you don't add the bubbles until you're ready to serve since you want to preserve the fizzy character that makes such wines so fun and special.
Choices for Spirits
You'll need about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of a flavored spirit. Brandy works best in white wine sangria; there are plenty of flavored brandies to try to find your favorite flavor combo. You can even try other flavored liqueurs and spirits such as amaretto or schnapps. You can even try Chambord, which has lovely raspberry flavors.
Citrus Juice
Opt for about 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed fruit juice; generally you'll want the juice of at least one lemon to balance sweetness, and the juice of one or two other citrus fruits such as lime, tangelo, grapefruit, or orange. If you choose a sour juice such as grapefruit or lime, you can omit the lemon juice.
Sugar
You don't need a lot of sugar here - just a little to add a hint of sweetness. Use either two tablespoons of a superfine sugar (superfine sugar dissolves the easiest) or opt for two tablespoons of honey or 1/4 cup of simple syrup. If you use a sweeter wine or opt for ginger ale or lemon lime soda in place of soda water, you can omit the sugar. Taste your concoction and adjust sugar as needed.
Fruit
Add as much fruit as you'd like. Consider any and all fruits here; tree fruits, stone fruits, berries, tropical fruits - the sky's the limit.
Soda Water
Add soda water last, just before you serve to preserve the bubbles. You can also use another fizzy alternative, such as ginger ale or lemon-lime soda, or even one of the flavored sparkling waters that are available. You can also add ice or just use super chilled ingredients to keep the sangria cold and refreshing.
Garnish
If you're using whole or cut fruit, then garnishes are optional, but it's always nice for presentation to have a mint or basil sprigs, and maybe a berry or citrus wedge for garnish.
Enjoy Refreshing White Sangria
White wine sangria is the perfect beverage for hot summer days. Whether it's a backyard gathering or pool party, mix up a batch of white wine sangria and enjoy a refreshing glass of deliciousness.
