Sangria de Cava from Importante Bodega Bar (Photo by Ryan Rich)
Much like ice cream and peanut butter, wine is a fine, fine thing to which the addition of “chunks” is either glorious or blasphemous. For those in the former group, the sweet-sour hits of chilled, booze-soaked fruit in sangria are luscious and celebratory — it’s a tiny party in a glass, bursting with color, flavor and texture. Sangria made in the Spanish tradition uses Rioja, spices, fresh fruit, and sugar or honey, but there are endless modern variations that appeal to every palate, including white wine sangrias and those with added liqueurs and sparkling floats. Here are a few takes on summer sangrias from Richmond wine pros.
Spiced Sangria from Botanya (Photo courtesy Botanya)
Spiced Sangria
Lighter on the fruit but full of amped-up spices, this red sangria is packed with flavor and not too sweet — it’s more of a zingy, cold refresher. The lights are low here, the vibes are high, and the sangria is the ideal drink for a long, buzzy evening with friends.
Sangria de Cava
Absolutely everything is swimming in this white sangria: Spanish Verdejo, dry vermouth, banana and apple liqueurs, fresh citrus, housemade triple berry syrup, and a cava float. It’s a sparkling liquid SweeTarts candy in the best, most balanced way.
White Sangria
Ooh, it’s peaches and herbs! This excellent sangria blanca pushes a triple-threat liqueur bomb: white rum, peach brandy and triple sec. Orange, lemon and basil make for a fresh sip that’s more spirited than sweet.
Rotating Sangrias
Rotating selections of Spanish and Mexican red and white wines are flavored with fresh local and tropical fruits, plus triple sec and tequila. TBT’s sangria offerings change frequently, but they always marry well with the menu’s bold flavors.
