A Winter Sangria

Many regard Sangria as a refreshing summer drink served by the pool or on the patio with tapas. A perfectly chilled mixture of red or white wine, fresh fruit, orange juice, lemon juice and a little simple syrup. Some will add brandy and some carbonated water to their recipe. There are so many options to play with. It is versatile and easy for everyone to enjoy. Sangria also makes for a delicious beverage in the winter. Adding some mulling spices like star anise, cinnamon sticks, allspice, and whole cloves can spice up this drink to make it feel more wintry.

Of course, picking the right wine for the punch is the fun part. A dry red is usually best when making a red Sangria and Tempranillo was always my go-to. This past week, I wanted to try something new and used the 2012 L. Donovan Zinfandel. I am so glad I did! The plum and jammy blackberry flavors of the Zin with the mulling spices made for a delicious combination. Since it was a winter Sangria, I used apple cider in place of the orange juice and topped it off with some Limoncello. The Zin was dry and bold enough to balance out these sweet additives. You can't forget the fruit. Wheels of lemon and orange with some thin apple slices work so well with all of these flavors and look so beautiful in the glass.

2012 L. Donovan Zinfandel Sangria Recipe

1 bottle of Zinfandel

½ cup of Apple Cider

1/3 cup of Limoncello

3 cinnamon sticks

2 star anise

3 cloves

3 pieces of whole allspice

1 orange

1 lemon

1 apple

Optional garnish: fresh rosemary or thyme

Add ice to a pitcher and mix all the ingredients together. Add slices of orange, lemon and apple. For serving, put a couple of fresh fruit slices in a glass and add ice. Use a spoon or strainer to pour in the sangria to keep the cloves, star anise and whole allspice in the pitcher. Top with fresh rosemary or thyme.