My Favorite Sangria Recipes for Summer

Ali's 4th of July Sangria
3 bottles Sauvignon Blanc
8 oz Vodka
1 bottle White Cranberry Juice
2 cup blueberries
2 cup raspberries
2 sliced lemons
Preparation:
Mix wine, vodka and cranberry juice in a large pitcher.  Add fruit to your liking, reserve some for garnish.  Chill in fridge for minimum 3 hours.  Serve over ice.
Makes approximately 20-25 servings, depending on who's drinking :)


Traditional Red Wine Sangria
1 bottle of red wine
1 lemon cut into wedges
1 orange cut into wedges
1 lime cut into wedges
2 tbsp. sugar
splash of orange juice
2 shots of gin
1 cup of raspberries or strawberries
1 small can of diced pineapples (with juice)
4 cups ginger ale
Preparation:
Pour wine into pitcher, squeeze juice from lemon, orange and lime wedges into wine, then drop in wedges.  Add pineapple, sugar, orange juice and gin.  Chill overnight.  Add ginger ale, berries and ice before serving.


Sparkling Sangria
1 cup brandy
1/2 cup orange liqueur
1/4 cup sugar, super fine
1 orange, thinly sliced
1 pint raspberries
1 lime, thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
2 bottles sparkling wine or cava, chilled
Preparation:
In a large pitcher, combine the brandy, orange liqueur. Pour in the sugar, stir or shake the pitcher thoroughly to mix until the sugar dissolves.  Add all the fruit at once. Add the cava and serve as is or on ice.
Recipe courtesy Michael Chairello


Rose Sangria Spritzer
2 bottles cold rose wine
1 green apple, thinly sliced
1 orange, halved and thinly sliced
1 pint fresh raspberries
simple syrup, to taste
ice cubes
fresh mint leaves, for garnish
club soda, cold
Preparation:
Combine wine, apple, orange, raspberries in a pitcher, add simple syrup, to taste. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day. Serve over ice, garnish with mint and top with a few splashes of club soda, if desired.
Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay

Tuscan Wine Dinner at Panzanella

Last Tuesday we enjoyed an amazing wine dinner at Panzanella Italian Restaurant in Sherman Oaks.  The event was put on by the Duke of Bourbon, a rare wine and spirit retailer in Canoga Park.  Each month they organize different events for their customers that highlight some of the unique wines currently offered in their store.  For this particular dinner they had a representative from Winebow, one of the largest importers and distributors of International wines, take us through a 5 course meal paired with wines from Tuscany. 

Some highlights of the meal included:

 Crispy Rice with Ahi Tuna Tartare paired with 

NV Zardetto Prosecco Cuvee Brut 

Octopus Carpaccio with 2007 Altesino, Rosso di Altesino, Super Tuscan

Artesian Rigatoni with Veal and Porcini Mushroom Ragu paired with 

2006 Castello di Bossi, Chianti Classico

Roasted Breast of Duck with Polenta and a Cherry Port Wine Sauce paired with 

2006 Poggio a Tesoro, Sondraia, Super Tuscan

The evening was definitely a treat.  For more information on the wines or Panzanella check out the links above.