RAISE A GLASS
Cold sangria refreshes on a hot day
By Kimberly Karalovich
Thank you Boreas (god of the north wind) for blowing the trades back. I think this is the hottest summer I have endured since I arrived in Hawai'i 17 years ago.
All this heat makes me yearn for icy cold beverages. So to combat the heat and quench my thirst at dinner, I often enjoy chilly, refreshing, tropical-delicious white wines, vibrant dry roses, and occasionally, when I have the time to make it, sangria.
I really like sangria in the summer because I like ice in my drink when it is exceptionally warm. The first time I had sangria that I really enjoyed, I was sitting in an outdoor café in Miami Beach. It was the middle of August, and it was scorchingly hot. The sangria glass was very large and packed with lots of ice, fruit and wine mixed with other spirits. When I received the bill, I was even more grateful that the sangria was quite delicious and rejuvenating because it helped me to overcome the shock of paying $23 a glass; wisely, the menu did not list the price.
Since then, I have enjoyed different sangria recipes. I could live 100 years and try a new recipe every summer and still not have tried all the different variations. Many interesting recipes can be found in "101 Sangrias and Pitcher Drinks" by mixologist Kim Haasarud. Most recipes call for fresh fruit, fruit juice, simple sugar and a liqueur or brandy.
Here is a simple red wine sangria recipe that I enjoy.
Mix all together. Add ice, or orange juice ice cubes, and an orange slice for garnish. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
I find it interesting that when you Google sangria, many bloggers suggest that you use the cheapest wine you can find. Yuck. By now, most people have come to understand that even when you are cooking with wine, it should not be selected by cheapness. It should be a good value, drinkable wine.
For red wine sangria, I like to use the Luzon Verde Mourvedre ($8.99) from Spain, made from organic grapes. It displays wonderful flavors of black cherry, wild berries, pepper and vanilla spice, with smooth tannins and a strong backbone of acidity that make it a perfect canvas for sangria.
Lasbrisas ($10.99) from Spain makes a great base for white wine sangria. This wine is a blend of verdejo, viura and sauvignon blanc. It's a light-bodied, crisp wine with tropical flavors of passion fruit, and citrus flavors of grapefruit and lemon peel, endowed with mouth-watering acidity. White wine sangria tastes best with citrusy fruits like lemon, lime, pineapples, green apples and oranges.
My favorite sangria is made with a dry rosé. I love watermelon, and for me watermelon tastes best in a rosé sangria. Try the Salento Negroamaro ($7.50) from Italy as a base. It's a tasty rosé with lots of cherry and strawberry flavors and deliciously refreshing acidity. Add lots of fresh watermelon and some watermelon schnapps, and then you, too, will know my delight.
The main thing about sangria to remember is there are no rules or limits on the types of ingredients you can use. Just be adventurous and creative. And whether you mix these wines into your sangria or drink them alone, they are sure to please without breaking the bank.
Kimberly Karalovich is wine consultant and general manager of the Wine Stop, 1809 S. King St., 946-3707; www.thewinestophawaii.com.
