How To Make Warm Red Sangria
The recipe is really easy and the ingredients are easily found in any supermarket. Plums definitely have a season so substitute them for whatever seasonal fruits you like. I could even see using pear.
Ingredients:
- 4 medium purple and/or green plums, pitted and sliced
- 1 bottle red wine
Any kind of red wine will work for this. I like a flavorful Cabernet Sauvignon but the bottle used here is a red blend and it was delicious.
I would choose a bottle you would drink on its own. In lots of cocktails, you can use a lower quality brand, if using mixers, since you wont be able to taste it as much. But in a tasty fall sangria, the wine flavor will shine through so it should be a yummy one.
The spice bundle is where its at. This is how all those amazing fall flavors get into your drink. You can find cheesecloth at Target or your grocery store but
I always have some on hand for making quinoa or ghosts its very versatile.
Lets talk for a minute about how amazing a fresh vanilla bean smells. You will want to rub it all over your body like perfume.
And mix that with fresh clovesI mean Does it get any more fall up in your kitchen?
Like with most sangria, you will need to plan ahead to give the spices time to marry with the juice .
Instead of finding a really large pitcher to transfer the juice in to, I poured a little juice out to make room for the spice pouch and the plums. That really is the only option for a lazy person like me.
Directions:
Check Out Our Video For How To Make Autumn Sangria:
Chop the fruit into large chunks and pour them into a large pitcher. Any fall fruits work really well here apples, oranges, pears, even pomegranate. With this recipe we kept it simple and used apples and oranges.
Then add your apple cider, red wine and cinnamon sticks and give it a good stir.
Dont add your club soda until youre ready to serve. The bubbles will go flat overnight so its best to wait until the last minute for that.
Now for the most important part! Leave your sangria to chill in the fridge overnight!
Right before youre ready to serve it you can add the Club Soda to give it a little fizz. If youre serving your autumn sangria to a large group you can add the Club Soda right to the pitcher.
If you think its going to take a few nights to get through your batch, pour a bit of Club Soda into a glass , then pour the Sangria on top. That way, when you go to finish it off the next day, you can still enjoy fizz without it being flat.
Its really easy to rim the glasses with cinnamon sugar and not only is it pretty, but its also DELICIOUS. I love the extra little taste of cinnamon and sugar with each sip! Simply dip the rim of the glass in a bowl filled with 1/4 inch of water, then dip the wet rim into the cinnamon sugar. Easy peasy!
OK, Im swooning a little over the bubbly delicious photos. Isnt sangria soooooo beautiful?? Its making me want to make it again, just looking at it.
California Harvest Fall Sangria Recipe
An easy Fall Sangria recipe made with Champagne grapes, Mission figs, crisp apples, and blackberries mixed with luscious Merlot.
Recipe first published on August 20, 2020 and last updated September 7, 2022.
If youve been lucky enough to visit Napa, or any California wine region during harvest season, you will instantly recognize the fragrance. The intense aroma of fermenting wine grapes fills the air and everywhere you go seems steeped in the rustic smell of wine-in-the-making.
This being harvest season, I wanted to create an autumn sangria reminiscent of Napa Valley, full of fall fruits and that sweet aroma of grapes being turned into wine.
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Variations On This Apple Cider Sangria Recipe:
Use a combination of fruit: instead of just apples, use a combination or apples, pears and oranges.
Make it less boozy: instead of orange liqueur use some simple syrup instead. Want it even lighter? Finish each glass with a splash of club soda.
Make it more boozy: add a splash of vodka to the mix.
Up the elegance: add some pomegranate seeds for a pop of color and flavor.
Add some heat: in a boozy way with a splash of bourbon.
White Or Red Wine For Fall Sangria
If you want to keep it authentic, you will use red wine but I think it really depends on what type of fruit you are using.
In the summer when light, juicy fruits like watermelon, strawberries, and plums are in season I think the flavor of a refreshing white wine or rosé wine is best.
For this Fall Sangria recipe I wanted to go with something more lusty and rich. I wanted a red wine that will hold its own with autumn fruits like red grapes, mission figs, and blackberries.
For this sangria I used a Merlot but Syrah or Pinot Noir would work. Theres a huge selection of California wines made using these varietals.
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Spiced Plum And Vanilla Red Sangria
How yummy does a fall sangria sound? I am generally a white wine drinker and have always preferred my sangria to be chilled and fruity.
But a warm red wine sangria recipe just makes sense for the colder months. Its like a mulled cider but with a little kick.
Plum is one of my favorite stone fruits to infuse wine any time of year. Its a versatile flavor that goes well with rich berry notes usually found in red wine. And spices like vanilla and cloves add another great layer of flavor.
Youre going to love serving this at all your fall parties.
What Fruit Is Best
Again, if you are a traditionalist, you will stick to the basic fruits of fresh apple and oranges, but really wheres the fun in that?
The joy of sangria is it adapts with the seasons, so while I will gladly tell you what I used, it is more of a suggestion than a hard, fast rule.
The most important thing when it comes to the fruit is that whatever you use, make sure it is the most luscious, ripe fruit you can find. Some people are tempted to add cranberries to their fall sangria but the chances that someone would bite into that fruit is high and raw cranberries are not that tasty.
I personally love this combination of figs, petit champagne grapes, apples, and blackberries because it screams California and reminds me of that intoxicating aroma of wine harvest. The champagne grapes are kind of hard to find, a good substitute would be pomegranate seeds.
If youre not sure whats best, check out this list of whats in season in California from our partners at CaliforniaGrown!
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Tips For Making Fall Sangria
- Start with fresh, in season produce thats ripe but not too soft. The fruit will soften considerably in the apple cider punch, so you want it to be fairly firm to begin with.
- Choose a variety of fruits for lots of flavor and color! I love using a few different kinds of apples, pears, and plums, but feel free to substitute your favorites.
- Use a high quality dry or semi-dry white wine. We prefer riesling or pinot grigio. If youre like me, youll pick one that is A) On sale for $10 or less and B) Says something about subtle hints of apple or refreshing blend of pear and citrus on the back.
- Bourbon is the quintessential fall spirit in my opinion, and I love the warmth it brings to this apple sangria. However, feel free to substitute brandy or rum if you prefer.
- You can use sparkling wine, club soda, or ginger ale to make a bubbly holiday sangria. My husband prefers the ginger ale, but I prefer to use club soda plus a teensy pour of maple syrup for sweetness and flavor. Feel free to experiment with your desired sweetness!
- Refrigerate Autumn Sangria for at least an hour before serving or overnight. The flavors will get better and better as it sits!
Why Don’t You Add Sugar
A lot of sangria recipes add extra sugar, but I don’t feel like this sangria needs it. The apple cider, fresh orange juice, and fruit add in a bunch of sugar which the dry red wine and spiced rum balances out well. If you want a sweeter fall sangria, you could always add a bit of brown sugar to the mix.
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Tips For Making The Best Sangria
- Let it sit in the refrigerator for AT LEAST 4 hours for the flavors to marry.
- Use a red wine that you actually like. You dont need to use an expensive bottle, but you certainly shouldnt use the cheapest bottle you find. You can find great bottles to use for under $20.
- Feel free to try different liquors in the sangria. Rum, bourbon, and brandy all work very well. Apple or Pear Brandy are also great options.
- Serve it chilled and with a few pieces of the soaked fruit
- For presentation and added sweetness, rim the cup with either a cinnamon sugared rim or a mixture of pumpkin pie spice and sugar.
- If the sangria is too strong, then lighten it up with a splash of club soda or more apple cider when serving.
Fruity Boozy And Fall
This sangria is the entire fall season inside of a glass. It’s full of so much fruit , delicious apple cider, fresh orange juice, triple sec, spiced rum, and dry red wine.
This would be a perfect sangria to drink while decorating your house for fall, on Halloween, while enjoying a hay ride or pumpkin patch, on Thanksgiving day, or even on an average cool autumn day. A plus is that it’s super simple to make!
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What Is Pear Liqueur And What Are Possible Substitutions
So now that we know how to make this autumn sangria, and we know the ingredients it takes to get the job done, how many of you are wondering where to get the pear liqueur or if its even necessary?
Great questions!
First off, when I originally planned to make this fall cocktail I had not planned on using pear liqueur. However, off to the market and to the liqueur aisle I went. I was planning to purchase brandyor whiskey. I was undecided. Anyway, I was stopped in my tracks when I saw the tall skinny bottle of Pear Liqueur made by Clear Creek Distillery.
I know that sangria recipes love a good liqueur so I didnt think twice.
You guys, this pear liqueur is some of the tastiest liqueur I have ever had and comes highly recommended .
That said, if you cant get your hands on this particular liqueur, possible substitutions include,
Also note, any type of liqueur is sweeter than brandy. If you like your cocktails extra sweet, you may want to add a couple of tablespoons of simple syrup, or a cup of orange juice or apple juice.
How Do You Make Sangria
In case youve never made sangria, dont worry. Its so simple. Just toss all the ingredients into a large pitcher, stir, and refrigerate for a few hours. Thats it!
Another wonderful thing about sangria is that you can whip it up the day before your event. It just gets better as the flavors meld together.
I am in love with the colors of this particular blend. It looks like autumn in a glass, dont you think?With your delicious Autumn Harvest Fall Sangria prepared, youre ready to celebrate the season in style.
Cheers!
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Considerations And Tips For Making Sangria
Pin the cloves into the orange peel side of one of the slices to prevent cloves from floating around in your glass and eventually putting you at risk of swallowing a whole clove
I prefer real fruit juice, so I recommend you use fresh squeezed orange juice vs. store-bought unless you prefer no pulp in your OJ
This is more of a fall sangria but can be remixed for any occasion. You’ll just want to go with seasonal flavors whether it’s the holiday season or summertime. Star anise is a great fall spice. Blood oranges make for a great twist in place of more traditional oranges.
For more of a refreshing summer version substitute a white wine like pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc. Net new, go with a crisp white wine.
I see a lot of recipes calling for triple sec which makes sense since many people have it on hand. That’s cool, but for a special occasion like turkey day you’ll want to splurge a bit to elevate this Thanksgiving dinner cocktail.
Orange liqueur like Cointreau is a great option if you can’t find a really good peach liqueur.
Definitely go with simple syrup as your sweetener. Sugar doesn’t dissolve well in alcohol. Maple syrup is also another good alternative.
Cognac is brandy so if you have brandy on hand, there is no need to make a special trip to the liquor store. The beauty of brandy is that there are many different flavored brandies out there like apple brandy that you can get creative with.
How To Make Red Sangria
Add cloves and cinnamon sticks to a large pitcher. Add in the orange and peach slices.
Add the orange juice, simple syrup, cognac, peach liqueur, and red wine. Mix well and refrigerate until chilled.
When ready to serve add the club soda and ice if needed to chill.
Serve in a glass garnished with fresh fruit slices.
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Red Apple Cider Sangria
Ive never been so excited about a cocktail! This red apple sangria is giving me all the heart eyes.
Aside from this drink basically LOOKING like October, this red apple cider sangria is one of my most anticipated drinks for fall. Its been on radar and I was determined to make it my signature fall cocktail this year. Im not disappointed!
So. Regular old apple cider sangria is one of the most popular recipes here on the blog. I made it AGES ago and you guys love it so much. Its constantly one of my top recipes, usually all the way through winter and into spring! Its just SO good.
Especially if youre an apple cider freak like me. I adore apple cider. Its so much better than pumpkin and salted caramel and all the other fall flavors. You know?
Apple cider reminds me of all things warm and cozy, chilly cool air and crunchy leaves, plaid scarves and bonfires. A grown up version of that with booze might just be the best thing ever.
Heres the deal. For me, this is like grown up apple cider sangria. Adult apple cider sangria, if you will.
Its not as sweet as the traditional version. Its red wine based which is automatically more adult-like in my brain. I sweetened it with a touch of maple syrup and you can use as much as youd like to get it as sweet as youd like. Instead of brandy I used a bit of grand marnier for a little hint of orange, which really brings in all those flavors of fall. Cinnamon sticks too.
It is SO good.
Youll Love This Fall Sangria Its:
- Easy to Make: Prepare this red sangria with no hassle in less than 10 minutes.
- Perfect for Special Occasions: This seasonal punch recipe is perfect for the holiday season! Serve it at Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a holiday party!
- Absolutely Delicious: Its a fruity, festive cocktail accented with warm flavors from cinnamon, brandy, and fresh fall fruits like apples and pears.
- EasilyCustomizable: Because this is a mixture of alcohol and spirits, you can pick and choose what ingredients to include or omit.
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What To Serve With Fall Sangria
â½ Pumpkin Cheese Ball Who doesn’t like wine with cheese. Try out this pumpkin cheese ball made with real pumpkin puree and shaped into a pumpkin for the perfect fall pairing!
â½ Fall Fruit and Cheese Board This beautiful fall cheese and fruit tray would make for the perfect cool autumn afternoon when served with this red wine sangria.
More Fall Cocktail Recipes:
â½Fall Beerâ½Homemade Apple Ciderâ½Pumpkin Pecan Whiskyâ Check out all of my fall recipes!
Bon appétit!
*This Fall Sangria blog post and recipe may contain some Amazon affiliate links. These link to products that I personally use and recommend. If you purchase anything using my links, it will not cost you anything. It will though give laurathegastronaut.com some financial support which helps me keep this blog running. Thank you for reading my blogs and your continued support.
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How To Serve This Sangria
The best part of a good fall sangria recipe is the garnish, of course! In this cocktail we used a cinnamon stick, a branch of rosemary , and an orange round from the remainder of the orange. Of course, you can use whatever youd like that goes with the fall theme .
In terms of glasses to use for sangria, one you probably already have on hand is a wine glass. We typically use a stemless wine glass. However, here we decided to serve it in these Old Fashioned glassesbecause we liked the look! Or, it could work with a lowball glass if you have that type of glass on hand.