It’s no surprise that Sangria is the perfect approach to enjoy your favorite wine in a new way. Fall in Southern California just feels like summer with cooler nights and we wanted to find a way to sip our sangria with a twist this season. When we think of fall flavors, we think of dark spices like cinnamon, clove, anise as well as citrus and apples picked directly from an orchard. There’s nothing like driving up to the mountains and feeling the cool crisp air bundled up in warmer clothes and sitting by a fire. We wanted to bring that look and feel from our imagination to your glass.
We used the 2018 BDX, our delicious red blend, that is grown here in San Diego County. It’s a tannic red blend that also happens to be our homage to the wines of Bordeaux. It’s a delicious blend of Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon which gives us the aromas of plum, black currant, anise, clove and black pepper topped with the sweetness of dark berries. Those aromas and the flavors of leather and tobacco naturally give us the baseline of the perfect Sangria. Earthy, spicy and sweet!
We started with fresh, organic fruit and incorporated a few twists and turns to make this specialty drink unique. Here’s how we made the magic happen:
- 3 Cups of BDX
- 1 Orange – Sliced and studded with cloves
- 1 Red Apple – Chopped and/or Sliced
- 1 ½ Cups of Sparkling Apple Cider
- 3 Tbsp. Simple Syrup (or more to achieve the desired sweetness)
- ¾ Tsp. Cinnamon Flavored Liqueur
- ¾ Tsp. Apple Flavored Whiskey
- 3 Tbsp. of Local Organic Raw Honey
- Cinnamon Sticks and Star Anise sprinkled in as garnish in the pitcher and each individual glass.
In each glass, reserve a cinnamon stick, star anise, an orange slice and a few slices of apple for each glass.
In the pitcher, start by adding the BDX. Slice the orange and add a few cloves into each slice. Add to the wine. Chop or slice the apple and add to the pitcher. Let the fruit marry for a little bit and then you will add in the following ingredients: simple syrup, cinnamon flavored liqueur, apple whiskey and drizzle in the raw honey. Add a few sticks of cinnamon and a few stars of anise to the pitcher to let the spices infuse into the sangria. While those flavors sit, prepare each individual glass by adding the reserved orange slice, apple slice, and cinnamon stick and then fill with ice. Stir the wine mixture in the pitcher well. Lastly, pour in the sparkling apple cider to give it the perfect amount of fizz and pop. Pour into glasses and feel free to tweak any ingredient to create the perfect flavor to please your palate.
Sip and serve the flavors of the season friends. From our home to yours, cheers!
