The best place to enjoy evening, in my book, is the screened porch. I can feel all the fresh breezes, watch swans on the lake, hear the birds and frogs, and not be bothered by mosquitoes.
A delicious, fresh, fruity drink just makes evenings better.
This sangria is slightly sweet, slightly tart, and completely delicious. Lime simple syrup can be made in advance, so the only challenge is waiting until a nectarine is perfectly ripe. A dry-ish red wine is best, so that the sangria doesn’t take on a sickeningly sweet taste. I prefer malbec or cabernet sauvignon, but a drier red blend would work fine. Just don’t worry about getting something top quality or expensive. Save that for sipping, and let the lime-y syrup shine.
In a quart glass measuring cup, stir together the zest from 1 lime, a cup of lime juice, and 3/4 cup of sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved, add enough water to make 4 cups. Cover and store in the refrigerator for at least a couple hours, or overnight, so the flavors “marry”. Then strain out the zest. This lime syrup will keep in the refrigerator for at least a week, but I’m pretty sure you won’t be able to leave it alone that long.
This beautiful bottle belonged to my great-grandmother Gunhild Pettersson. She used it to bottle “saft”, a sweet, fruit-based concentrate that is a summertime staple for every Swedish family. I don’t make “saft”, but enjoy sangria!
Pour about 1/2 cup of the lime syrup into each glass. Using a spoon, “float” the wine over the syrup. This keeps the two separate and makes a really pretty bi-colored drink.
Gently drop in a couple cold nectarine wedges, and serve.
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Summer Sangria
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
Light, fresh, and easy to enjoy
Ingredients
- Zest of one large lime
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice – approximately 6 limes
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 bottle dry red wine – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Pinot Noir…
- 1 nectarine
Instructions
- In a 4-cup glass measuring cup combine lime zest, lime juice, and sugar
- Stir to dissolve sugar
- Add water to equal 4 cups
- Refrigerate overnight
- Strain thru a small sieve and pour into bottle – this keeps in the refrigerator for at least one week, but it’s so tasty it won’t last that long
- To serve, pour about 1/2 cup lime juice mixture into each glass, then slowly add 1/2 cup wine, “floating” it over a spoon and down the side of the glass – this keeps the wine and lime separate, creating a beautiful bi-colour beverage
- Slide chilled nectarine wedges gently into the glass and serve
