The Best Wine For Red Sangria, According To An Expert

If you take a look at our list of wine cocktails, you'll see that they come in all flavors and forms. Despite a growing selection of creative new concoctions, it's hard to beat a classic red sangria. We consulted Jankel Aleman, food and beverage manager at The National Hotel Miami Beach, for his expert advice on the best red wine for sangria.

"Traditionally, sangria is made with Spanish red wine like tempranillo or garnacha," Aleman says. "These lighter wines will ensure an authentic and enjoyable sangria. We use the lighter varietals for sangria served to diners and have received great feedback on the fresh and natural taste." Both tempranillo and garnacha are medium to full body wines with a balance of acidity and dryness thanks to a medium tannin content. They also share similar earthy and fruity tasting notes, with garnacha being more berry-forward and tempranillo offering notes of cherry.

Aleman's top choices include other comparable varieties. "Rioja or sangiovese wines should work for sangria," he suggests. "However, sangria can be made as dry or sweet as the drinker prefers." According to our review of every major type of red wine, sangiovese encompasses many different grape varietals that make it the perfect chameleon to suit dry or sweet sangria. Rioja wines are actually made using tempranillo and garnacha grapes, aged for long periods in oak barrels, with similarly earthy and fruity notes.

Classic red sangria recipes traditionally use apples, oranges, and lime for a tart, sweet, and citrus-forward complement to the wine's berry and cherry-forward tasting notes. However, plenty of other fruit combinations will also pair well with red wine. If you're making a summertime sangria, you can use a combination of strawberries and peaches. Give your sangria recipe a fall flavor spin with pears, grapes, or even fruit juices like orange and this Kauffman Orchards apple cider. You can also bring more liquid ingredients to the mix for nuanced flavors and textures. Liqueurs like Grand Marnier and other liquors like brandy amp up the alcohol content and the sophistication of sangria. Soda water, sprite, and ginger ale will help dilute the harshness of the alcohol and sweeten the drink while also bringing crisp and refreshing carbonation.

Whatever wine you end up choosing, Aleman warns that "any red wines that are too sweet or too tannic should be avoided, as well as any dessert wines, to avoid making the drink too sweet." A wine that's too sweet will overwhelm the fruit you dice up into it, while a wine that's too tannic will bring an unpleasant dryness to sangria that no amount of juicy fruits will overcome.