The Easiest Sangria Recipe To Make This Summer

We’re breaking down how to make the best kind of fruit salad there is: sangria. We’ll cover the best wines and fruits to build your perfect white sangria this summer.

If there is one fruit salad we will always say yes to, it is sangria.

This crowd pleasing cocktail is made with wine, fresh fruit, liqueurs, and mixers like sparkling water, juice or soda. It is refreshing, endlessly customizable, and practically made for warm weather get togethers.

Unlike cocktails that rely on exact measurements, like the Old Fashioned or the Manhattan, sangria is wonderfully forgiving. Start with a bottle of wine, toss in whatever fresh fruit you have on hand, add a splash of your favorite liqueur such as Chambord, Cointreau or St-Germain, and finish it with juice, soda or sparkling water. Whether you are using berries, citrus, peaches, apples or a mix of seasonal fruit, it is hard to go wrong.

Sangria's roots date back centuries. Historians believe early versions originated in ancient Greece and Rome, where people mixed wine with water, fruit, spices and sweeteners. At the time, adding wine made water safer to drink while creating a more enjoyable beverage. The fruit and spices were simply a delicious bonus.¹

The name sangria comes from the Spanish word sangre, meaning "blood," a nod to the deep ruby color of traditional red wine sangria. Today, there are countless ways to make it. Red, white, rosé, sparkling and even nonalcoholic wines all make excellent bases depending on the occasion.

Looking for the ultimate summer pitcher? A crisp white wine or refreshing rosé paired with seasonal fruit makes an easy, crowd favorite sangria that is perfect for backyard barbecues, pool parties, beach days and any warm weather gathering.

When making a white sangria, steer clear of richer, more complex varietals like chardonnay. Instead, opt for crisp, fruit-forward varietals like sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio or even riesling. The acidity in the wine will play nicely with the acidity of the fruit, making for a refreshing glass of sangria.

The sky is the limit when it comes to what fruits to add to a sangria, but for a white sangria specifically, go for fruits that are fresh, crisp and clean. Think lemons, limes, green apples, berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc.), oranges and pears.

As with any sangria, make sure you ladle a healthy amount of fruit into each glass (for both taste and aesthetics) and only add carbonated mixers to the top of each glass. If you pour bubbly mixers into the pitcher or punch bowl with everything else, it’ll be flat by the time you and your guests enjoy it.

The joy of sangria-mixing is that you can toss basically whatever you want in it, but keep scrolling for our top white sangria recipe to make this summer.