LCBO Food & Drink Summer 2023

RED ALERT

WINES FOR SANGRIA

The Sangria Solution

Any good, hearty, inexpensive red will do the trick. In this case, intensity of flavour trumps subtlety and finesse, both of which will be hard to detect once the fruit and vermouth are sharing the jug. Garnacha (Grenache) from the Rioja region is a traditional Spanish Sangria red, and this example shows why. Full of juicy, tangy red berry flavours, it has a lively acidity to balance the richness of the vermouth. Buy another bottle to drink with dinner and enjoy its verve and length. La Maldita Garnacha Rioja DO LCBO 22617, $14.30 Sangria is also a Portuguese tradition. This big, smooth red blends Aragonês, Castelão and Touriga Nacional to bring ripe red and black fruit flavours that linger nicely on the palate. San Marzano Primitivo Puglia IGP LCBO 13494, $12 Soft, velvety tannins lurk in the depths of this easygoing but spicy Primitivo from the heel of Italy, hidden beneath a cloak of ripe plum, prune and chocolate-cherry flavours. The fresh fruit in the Sangria contrasts nicely with the wine’s well-rounded weight. Porta 6 LCBO 427377, $14

Making a jug of Sangria is a great way to turn a big red wine into something more easy-going and hot weather–friendly. It’s also the best thing to do if you find yourself with a bottle of red wine in a style you don’t care for—some sweet-tasting, low-acid, inky fruit bomb, for example. Transforming it into Sangria will correct its misdemeanours.

SUMMERTIME SANGRIA P. 136

CLASSIC SANGRIA INFUSION KIT It’s the perfect gift for a Sangria lover. Maiden Voyage Cocktail Co. in Gananoque makes a range of seasonal Sangria kits that consist of dried fruits, sugar and (in some cases) spices in a one-litre jar. Simply pour in a bottle of red wine and refrigerate for one to three days for a deliciously tangy round of eight cocktails. Each kit costs $25, available at cocktailemporium.com.

52 FOOD & DRINK SUMMER 2023