Sipping sangria is one of life's simplest pleasures, and it's not only reserved for warmer weather. This classic Spanish cocktail is traditionally made with red wine and brandy, but if you aren't feeling red wine, you can still use white wine, rosé, or even sparkling wine. Then, depending on what else you put in it, you can even make sangria with fall or wintery flavors (such as this caramel apple sangria).
If you're wondering what fruit to add to sangria, the world is your oyster. There are no hard and fast rules, but you should aim to include at least two kinds of fruit in your sangria: one that's a citrus fruit and one that isn't.
The goal is to have fun and create a drink around flavors (and colors!) you enjoy. Just be sure to pick ripe fruits that taste good, and clean them well. Consider that the fruits release juices that flavor the sangria, and you want to be able to snack on those yummy, ripe chunks of fruit, as well — so this is not the place to ditch those mealy apples. (However, sangria is a great way to use wine that's gone slightly bad.)
It's recommended that you let sangria chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to two hours before enjoying, so the fruit can really soak up the alcohol and all the flavors can come together. Longer isn't necessarily better; if you let it soak for more than four hours, the fruit may get soggy and leave your sangria tasting bitter.
Ready to pick your sangria fruits? Here are some dependable fruits that will work well with sangria, so you can get your sip on.