• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Elise Tries To Cook
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast and Brunch
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Meal Prep Friendly Recipes
    • Side Dishes
    • Clean Eating Snacks
    • Clean Desserts
    • Cocktails
    • Juices and Smoothies
  • About
    • Privacy
    • Contact Me
  • Work With Me
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe index
  • Cocktails and Drinks
  • Meal Prep Recipes
  • Dinner
  • Contact Me
  • About Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Red Wine Sangria (5 Ingredients!)

    Published: Dec 13, 2020 · Modified: Oct 1, 2021 by Elise Shivamber · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    The easiest and only sangria recipe you will ever need. With only 5-ingredients, this red wine This classic Red Wine Sangria is the perfect pitcher cocktail recipe and the only one you’ll ever need! With only 5-ingredients, this red-wine sangria is boozy, fruity and simple! Perfect for entertaining!

    Two glasses of red wine sangria with a bottle in the back.

    This classic red sangria is literally the easiest and only sangria recipe you will ever need. It’s so delicious - light, fruity and absolutely boozy!

    Large batch cocktails like sangria are the best for entertaining. They’re totally customizable and can (and should be!) made in advance! A total crowd-pleaser that is flexible for anyone. 

    Pitcher cocktails make it even easier for hosting (or for bringing to a friend’s!). Red wine sangria is of course a classic, but you can also try White Wine Sangria, Rosé Sangria, or other pitcher drinks like Apple Cider Punch or Watermelon Blueberry Punch! 

    You can even make a batch of Mulled Wine, which is kind of like a warm sangria. Or have you tried a combination of my two faves: margarita and sangria aka a Red Wine Sangria Margarita!

    I’m a huge fan of red-wine sangria! I first had it in Spain, but I quickly found my favorite local places to get sangria because I needed my fix. I love tapas and sangria is of course the perfect pairing!

    The inspiration for this easy 5-ingredient red wine sangria comes from those delicious Spanish tapas nights I love. Check out over 9 options for the best sangria recipes if you're as big of a fan as me!

    Jump to:
    • Classic Sangria Ingredients
    • Best Wine to Use
    • How to Make Sangria
    • How to Serve
    • 💭 Top Tips
    • Other Large Batch Cocktails
    • 📖 Recipe
    A close up of a glass of red wine sangria next to a cutting board.

    Classic Sangria Ingredients

    There are four classic ingredients for any kind of sangria.

    1. Wine 

    Use any kind of wine or champagne you’d like. Pick your choice from Red, White, Rose, Champage, or Prosecco. I always choose a medium priced bottle of win (about $10-$15) to make a sangria. Because wine is the base of the sangria, you don’t want to go too cheap!

    2. Fruit

    Fruit infuses with the wine to give a fresh fruity and sweet flavor. Use whatever fresh fruit is in season! 

    The most common and simple fruit to add into a sangria  is oranges and apples.

    Great fruits to include are: oranges, apples, pears, peaches, berries, or blood oranges. A helpful tip is to see what fruits are ingredients in the wines you choose.

    A cutting board of sliced apples and oranges.

    3. Sweetener 

    While sweetener is optional, it’s a helpful ingredient to balance out the bitterness of the wine. For red-wine sangrias you could use agave nectar, white sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, or even a simple syrup.

    For this red wine sangria recipe, I omit sugar and instead top with ginger beer. This adds the sweetness to balance out the wine! You can substitute for ginger ale (sweeter result) or club soda (less sweet result).

    4. Liqueur or Liquor 

    For a real boozy (and good) sangria, you need to add liquor or liqueur. Depending on what type of wine you choose, I like to add Brandy, Cognac, Vodka, Tequila, Gin, or Orange Liqueur. Brandy or Cognac is classic in red-wine sangrias, with vodka, tequila or gin popular in white-wine sangrias. 

    There’s no one right way to do it! You can always omit liquor for a less boozy sangria.

    To add an extra orange flavor, I use Cointreau in this red-wine sangria. Triple Sec is a direct substitute for Cointreau, but I find it more sugary and to cause headaches!

    A pitcher of sangria with a bottle of wine in the back.

    Best Wine to Use

    If you’ve ever wondered “what’s the best wine to use in sangria” then you’re exactly like me (and probably almost everybody).

    The best wines to choose for a red wine sangria are those lower in tannins: Grenache, Tempranillo, Zinfandel, or Pinot Noir. If you use a cabernet sauvignon or other red wine that is higher in tannins, it will taste more bitter when cold.

    Avoid sweeter wines as it will result in an overly sweet sangria (unless that’s your preference!). 

    How to Make Sangria

    First, prepare the fruit. Slice the orange into small wedges and dice the apple into cubes. Make sure the fruit is thoroughly washed in advance. 

    Place the chopped oranges and apples into the pitcher. You can press lightly on the fruit to muddle it and release some of the flavors.

    A pitcher filled with cut oranges and apples.

    Pour in the liquids. Add the red wine, cointreau and ginger beer into the pitcher. It may seem like pouring the ginger beer in advance would remove its bubbles, but by adding the ginger beer in advance it removes some of the sweetness!

    Stir completely and then transfer to the fridge. The sangria should chill for at least four hours and up to overnight.

    How to Serve

    I serve sangria in a pitcher and then pour into glasses filled with ice.

    I like to make sure that orange slices and apple chunks are in each glass as it makes a pretty garnish! You can also add a cinnamon stick!

    A glass of red wine sangria with apples and oranges.

    💭 Top Tips

    Use the right wine. Choosing the proper wine (one lower in tannins like grenache, tempranillo, zinfandel or pinot noir) will result in a better sangria. 

    Best ingredients possible. Since there are only a few ingredients in sangria, the better quality ingredients, the better. Using sub-par ingredients means an eh sangria. Be as choosy as the budget can allow. 

    Make the sangria ahead. It tastes better when it has time to cool in the fridge.

    In a rush? No worries, place ice in individual cups and pour sangria over.

    Wash your fruit thoroughly.Don’t go too cheap with wine. The wine is the base of the sangria, so choose a wine that is good enough to drink by itself. I like to choose a bottle for around $8-12.

    Other Large Batch Cocktails

    • Rose Sangria
    • White Wine Sangria
    • Spiked Apple Cider Punch
    • Spiced Mulled Wine
    • Watermelon Blueberry Vodka Punch
    • Vegan Eggnog

    📖 Recipe

    Close up of a round glass of red wine sangria.

    Red Wine Sangria (5 Ingredients!)

    Elise Shivamber
    This classic Red Wine Sangria is the perfect pitcher cocktail recipe and the only one you’ll ever need! With only 5-ingredients, this red-wine sangria is boozy, fruity and simple! Perfect for entertaining!
    No ratings yet
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cooling Time 30 mins
    Total Time 45 mins
    Course Drinks
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 cups
    Calories 289 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 750 Milliliters Pinot Noir *
    • ½ Cup Cointreau
    • 1 Orange
    • 1 Red Apple diced with skin on
    • ¼ Cup Ginger Beer

    Instructions
     

    • Slice the orange into small wedges keeping the skin on and dice the apple into cubes, avoiding the core. Make sure the fruit is thoroughly washed in advance.
      1 Orange, 1 Red Apple
    • Place the chopped oranges and apples into the pitcher. You can press lightly on the fruit to muddle it and release some of the flavors.
    • Add the red wine, cointreau and ginger beer into the pitcher. It may seem like pouring the ginger beer in advance would remove its bubbles, but by adding the ginger beer in advance it removes some of the sweetness!
      750 Milliliters Pinot Noir, ¼ Cup Ginger Beer, ½ Cup Cointreau
    • Stir completely and then transfer to the fridge. The sangria should chill for at least four hours and up to overnight.

    Notes

    * Use any red wine lower in tannins like Grenache, Tempranillo, Zinfandel, or Pinot Noir. If you use a cabernet sauvignon or other red wine that is higher in tannins, it will taste more bitter when cold. Avoid sweeter wines as it will result in an overly sweet sangria (unless that’s your preference!).
    Use the best ingredients possible. Since there are only a few ingredients in sangria, the better quality ingredients, the better. Using sub-par ingredients means an eh sangria. Be as choosy as the budget can allow. 
    Make the sangria ahead. It tastes better when it has time to cool in the fridge. At least 30-minutes and up to a few days before. (If you leave the sangria for too long the fruit will suck up all the alcohol! I wouldn't suggest more than 4-days in the fridge.)
    In a rush? No worries, place ice in individual cups and pour the sangria straight over.
    Wash your fruit thoroughly.
    Don’t go too cheap with wine. The wine is the base of the sangria, so choose a wine that is good enough to drink by itself. I like to choose a bottle for around $8-12.
    To add an extra orange flavor, I use Cointreau in this red-wine sangria. Triple Sec is a direct substitute for Cointreau, but I find it more sugary and to cause headaches!
    Great fruits to include are: oranges, apples, pears, peaches, berries, or blood oranges. A helpful tip is to see what fruits are ingredients in the wines you choose.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1CupCalories: 289kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 4mgPotassium: 117mgFiber: 2gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 98IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword 5-ingredient, red wine, red wine sangria, sangria, sangria with ginger beer, traditional sangria
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    « Protein Pasta Salad (Gluten Free + Vegetarian)
    Dill Mustard Salad Dressing »

    Sign up!

    For clean eats and drinks recipes sent directly to your inbox!

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Elise Shivamber Photo

    Hey there, I’m Elise! I use fresh, simple ingredients to make a healthy lifestyle more accessible. With clean ingredients, these recipes will make your heart and belly happy. Thanks for making me a part of your cooking journey!

    About →

    New Recipes

    • Gluten Free Mashed Potatoes
    • Gluten Free Chicken Meatballs
    • Honey Lavender Latte
    • Gluten Free Breakfast Sandwich
    Sign Up! For weekly emails.

    Healthy Summer Meals

    • Carne Asada Quesadillas
    • Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Herb Salsa Verde
    • Healthy Green Chile Beef Enchiladas
    • fried fish taco,fried fish tacos
      Gluten Free Fried Fish Tacos

    Fave Summer Drinks

    • Spicy Skinny Margarita
    • Strawberry Agua Fresca (Agua de Fresa)
    • pineapple agua fresca,agua fresca,pineapple water
      Agua de Piña (Pineapple Water)
    • mexican mule,tequila mule,moscow mule with tequila
      the Best Mexican Mule (aka Tequila Mule)

    As Featured In

    the food gawker logo of a bowl above food gawker text
    the feed feed logo of circle surrounding two spoons

    Footer

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy

    Let's Connect!

    • Find us on Facebook
    • Find us on Instagram
    • Find us on Pinterest
    • Newsletter

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work With Me

    Copyright © 2022 Elise Tries to Cook

    AS AN AMAZON ASSOCIATE AFFILIATE, I EARN FROM QUALIFYING PURCHASES.