Sangrias – The Nectar of the Gods!

Seriously, I truly believe Sangrias are the Nectar of the Gods.  They were also the beginning of my love for wine…

Before I left for Spain, one of my coworkers bragged incessantly about the Spanish Sangrias.  I hate to admit it, but I was getting a little irritated with this guy because he kept telling me about his Navy years and how those Sangrias were one of the highlights. I was pretty sure nothing good be THAT good.  

I was wrong. 

I had my first Sangria after a nine hour flight, a two hour train ride from Madrid to Seville, a crazy taxi ride through the city, and then having to check our bags at the hotel because we arrived too early to check in. All I could say was WOW! The first sip of that delicious red juice was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!

During our week-long stay, I found many different occasions to partake of this deliciousness.  I also came to realize that not all Sangrias were made equal.  By the end of the trip, I had become a Sangria snob (who makes Sangrias with fruit cocktail? Seriously, people…).  I learned to look around the various restaurants or outdoor cafes at whether or not they were using fresh fruit in the drinks they served before we gave the okay for any specific eating place.  

When I returned home, I immediately missed those wonderful drinks.  After doing a little research, I found some super awesome recipes on-line.  I also quickly learned just how many calories these drinks could contain (something I never even gave a second thought to when I was in Spain…). 

That’s when a friend introduced me to the Weight Watchers Sangria Recipe, located at the following link.

https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/recipe/fruity-sangria/5626a5e02084d63a34017c61

At approximately 52 calories per 8 oz cup, this quickly became my new favorite drink for sitting outside by the pool on a warm, summer day. One sip and I’m transported back to that week in Spain.  

Try some for yourself and hopefully, you will find it just as amazing and tasty. 

Weight Watchers Sangria Recipe

1 cup of red wine (not cooking wine…)

24 oz diet cranberry juice (I used pineapple cranberry, but this would be your preference)

2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced

1 orange, cut in to slices

2 green or red apples, sliced

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon, to taste

Mix yumminess together in a large pitcher. Let sit for half an hour before service over ice. Sip, relax, and dream of Spain. :) 

***Note: The fruit soaks up a lot of the alcohol after it has been sitting a bit. Munch wisely. 

Enjoy!

Tami

To see more about my adventures in Spain, check out my other blog posts at the following links: