Easy Red Wine Sangria Recipe

This Red Wine Sangria recipe is one of my favorite refreshing drinks to serve at a summer dinner party. The merlot gives the sangria a robust flavor while the citrus adds a wonderful fresh flavor for the season. Serve it with salty appetizers, like olives or Spanish almonds, or pair it with my Ultimate Burger recipe from the grill!

Red Wine Sangria in a decanter with olives and almonds in the background

Years ago when my husband and I were traveling through Spain and Portugal, I fell in love with Red Wine Sangria. It’s such an easy drink to serve at a party because you can make a big batch of it and let guests serve themselves.

This recipe is pretty close to the original recipe we had while over there and you can add all kinds of fresh fruit to it like apples and oranges or strawberries and oranges is another great combination. It’s become my new favorite summer drink!

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Make-Ahead Tips:

  • When you make this recipe, be sure to allow a minimum of one hour of resting time in the fridge.
  • This will allow the flavors to marry and create a more flavorful drink.
  • Then all you have to do is top with sparkling water or club soda before serving!
  • You can also make Sangria as far as 24 hours in advance, it gets better the longer it sits!

What is the best red wine for sangria?

  • For this recipe, I used Merlot. It is mild but adds a great flavor to this drink. Here are some other ideas for Red wines for Sangria.
  • Merlot will bring a soft flavor to the Sangria.
  • Pinot Noir will be lighter than Merlot and bring out the fruitiness of the citrus in your Sangria.
  • Cabernet Sauvignon is a “bigger” flavored wine that can overpower the Sangria, so not my first choice.
  • Rioja, a Spanish red wine, would work really well for this recipe if you can find it. However, I have had great luck finding some affordable ones at Trader Joes! 

pouring cointreau into a Pyrex pitcher for an Easy Sangria Recipe

How to Make Sangria Non-Alcoholic?

If you don’t drink, you can still enjoy this beverage by swapping the wine and Cointreau for white grape juice and cranberry juice. This is also a great drink for the kids too! 

Non-alcoholic sangria being poured into glasses filled with ice

You could kick this sangria party off with my Veggie Quesadillas and Chunky Guacamole followed by my Tequila Lime Chicken Fajitas or my Carne Asada Tacos.

Carne Asada Tacos on a Terra Cotta Mexican Platter
Carne Asada Taco Platter

Do you chill red wine Sangria?

  • Yes! While opinions differ on chilling red wine, if you do not chill your red wine Sangria, it will lose its refreshing profile and taste more like room temperature fruit juice.
  • If you want to serve it outside, pour it into a large pitcher or carafe with an airtight lid and place it in a cooler or a pretty beverage tin with ice.
Easy Red Wine Sangria Recipe

Easy Red Wine Sangria

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Red Wine Sangria is my favorite refreshing summer drink. Merlot gives the beverage a robust flavor and the citrus ties in the fresh, summer season. Serve this with salty appetizers, like olives or Spanish almonds, or pair with my ultimate burger from the grill!

Ingredients

  • 1 Bottle Merlot Wine
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) Cointreau
  • juice of 1 orange
  • ½ orange, sliced
  • ½ lemon, sliced
  • ½ cup (120 ml) lime flavored mineral water

Instructions

  1. Place wine in a decanter, add Cointreau, orange juice, orange slices and lemons. Chill for at least 1 hour, but overnight is better.
  2. Right before serving top with ½ cup of lime flavored mineral water.
  3. Place ice in a glass, pour sangria over and garnish with an orange slice.
  4. Serve with some Spanish almonds and mixed olives!

Notes

To make the non-alcoholic version of Sangria:

  • 4 cups (950 ml) white grape juice
  • ½ cup (120 ml) 100% pure cranberry juice (or pomegranate juice)
  • ½ orange, sliced into half moons
  • ½ lemon, sliced into half moons
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) lime flavored mineral water

Combine the grape and cranberry juice in a decanter, stir. Add the orange and lemon slices. And top with the mineral water. Serve over ice. Enjoy!

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 91Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 41mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 2gSugar: 12gProtein: 1g
Brownie cake scooped into a mug with ice cream

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