Sangria

Who doesn't love sangria?

I'm sure there must be someone out there who objects to this sweet, refreshing, summer treat; but I don't know them.

I had never made sangria before; actually- I had ever even thought about how to make sangria before. But once the idea struck me (thanks to the giant hand blown glass pitcher my sister brought me back from Mexico) I couldn't imagine it being that difficult.

I got on cooksillustrated.com and looked up sangria recipes. Surprisingly, they only had two. Being that we were having seafood tacos, guacamole, and homemade churros for dinner; I went with the white- tweaking it along the way. (see tweaking notes below)

Here's how easy it is.

Ingredients

2	large juice oranges , 1 cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices, 1 juiced
1	large lemon , cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1/4	cup sugar
2	tablespoons Triple Sec
1	(750-ml.) bottle fruity white wine (medium-bodied), chilled
6-8	ice cubes

Instructions

1. 1. Add orange and lemon slices and sugar to large pitcher; mash gently with wooden spoon until sugar dissolves and fruit releases some juice but is not completely crushed, about 1 minute. Stir in orange juice, Triple Sec, and wine; refrigerate for at least 2 and up to 8 hours.

2. 2. Before serving, add ice cubes and stir briskly to redistribute settled fruit and pulp; serve immediately.

A few "tweaking" notes...

- we doubled the recipe, with the exception of the sugar (we didn't want it to be overly sweet).
- we used a pinot grigio and a bottle of dry brut champagne. (The bubbles add a really crisp, smooth flavor). And don't get crazy buying expensive wines. They actually recommend using cheap wines; they're often sweeter and the fruit and sugar mask a lot of the complexities anyway.
- ice cubes are not a necessity. :-)

So go forth, muddle, and enjoy!

Shea