I love sangria. To me, it is the perfect hot summer treat. And since we now live in the Caribbean, it is hot and summery every day. I found the inspiration for this Sangria recipe from the Whole Foods iPad app. I know that sangria recipes usually call for the addition of some sort of liquor (this one for triple sec) but I actually left it out. I like that this way I can drink more of it. I have been now intrigued by all sorts of other Sangria recipes that I hope to be trying out soon.

What You Need:

1 bottle red wine (something aged in metal barrels, and no need for anything expensive)
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 small orange sliced thinly
1 lemon sliced thinly
2 malay apples or frech cashews, sliced (recipe originally called for peaches but those are no local and I loved what these apples added)
1-2 lemons worth of juice
1 cup club soda

In a large pitcher (or a mason jar) combine everything except the last two ingredients together. Be sure the sugar is dissolved into the wine before adding the fruit pieces. Let sit in the refrigerator anywhere from 2 hours to overnight. Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice and soda and serve over ice. If you want a sweeter take, ginger ale will also work in place of the lemon juice and club soda. I think the recipe originally called for lemon italian soda, but I just made my own.

Enjoy!

Update: With malay apples being out of season, I have recently started using fresh starfruit from my backyard with amazing results. Feel free to experiment with this part.