There’s nothing complicated about sangria, really—it’s just fruity red wine, very lightly sweetened, fortified with a splash of a stronger spirit such as brandy, and infused with slices or chunks of fruit—usually citrus, but sometimes seasonal fruit such as peaches. It is slightly diluted with ice, but sometimes also with carbonated water. No, nothing complicated…but chefs love to complicate things. A few years ago, for an article about sangria, I drove two hours to interview an enthusiastic chef and taste his delicious signature white sangria. It was light and refreshing, but at the same time, deep and complex. When he told me how he made it, I had an entire page of notes before he was finished. It involved several steps, specific wine labels, ounces of this and half-liters of that, spices to be simmered, strained, cooled…as I was compiling the recipe to accompany the article, I doubted that anyone would ever make it. (more…)
