Is It Okay To Use Cheap Wine When Making Sangria?

It's always a good time for sangria. Whether you're going for a bright crisp white or a refreshing red sangria, the combination of wine and fruit is never a bad time. If you're making a pitcher for friends or family the last thing you want to serve is a bland sangria, which may make you think twice before reaching for a cheap bottle of wine. To find out what the deal is with cheap wine sangrias, we reached out to Camille Goldstein of Muddling Memories.

When we asked Goldstein if cheap wine was okay, she said, "Of course! The only rule is to use a wine that you would feel comfortable drinking as a glass alone. That bottle could be any price point." As Goldstein points out, it's not the price point that matters. But at the same time, this isn't a blank check saying every bottle of wine under the sun is going to produce a great sangria. There are some types of wine you should avoid when making sangria, primarily wines that are too sweet or too tannic to play nicely with the other ingredients.

"The sweet spot for me is flavor profile," Goldstein continued. "There are plenty of delicious quality wines under $15 and plenty of wines that aren't as delicious over $40. Stick to what you like as it will only enhance the sangria when you make it." With that in mind, it might be better to stick with wines you are familiar with.

There's a funny thing about wine that throws people off. Some wine lovers can get a little snooty, causing people who enjoy a glass of wine more casually to feel they are somehow "doing" wine wrong. But it doesn't need to be this way.

"In the wine world there are no rights and wrongs, only preference," Camille Goldstein said. "For sangria, I would go with my tried and true red or white bottle I drink casually and save a more aged and pricier bottle for a special occasion to drink by the glass." Since you're going to combine the wine with a variety of other ingredients, it doesn't make sense to choose your nicest bottle. Although the wine you choose does have a significant impact on the final flavor, the unique notes you pick up when drinking it by itself will likely be overshadowed. Why waste the money when you aren't really going to be able to appreciate that pricey bottle of wine for what it is?

If you're worried a cheaper bottle simply won't have the same pop as a more expensive one, remember that there are plenty of ways to upgrade your sangria's flavor that have nothing to do with your wine choice. Most people don't make cocktails with expensive spirits because there are diminishing returns once you reach a certain level of quality and the same ethos applies to sangria as well.