While sangria is a great drink to enjoy year round, this fall red wine sangria recipe brings special hints of autumn to your cocktail experience. The perfect batch cocktail for fall parties and gatherings of all kinds!
If you’ve always enjoyed drinking sangria, it’s time to make this easy batch cocktail recipe at home! This fall red wine sangria is made using a bottle of drier red wine, orange liqueur, brandy, apple cider, a little sugar (or sweetener of your choice), fresh apples and oranges, and cinnamon sticks. Option to add some bubbles too if that’s your thing. The apple cider, apples, and cinnamon make this red wine cocktail the perfect drink for fall!
TELL ME ABOUT THIS FALL SANGRIA RECIPE
Level of difficulty: Sangria is an easy cocktail to make. A little measuring, a little stirring, and minimal chopping and slicing of your fruit.
Flavor: This fall red wine sangria recipe is a light and easy red wine cocktail to sip on with hints of apple and cinnamon coming through.
Time: While it takes less than 10 minutes to prep and mix up your fall sangria, overall time for this recipe is 1+ hours because it needs to chill for at least an hour to infuse the fruit flavors into this red wine cocktail. If you have time, let it sit for 3-4 hours to let the flavors really meld.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
Red Wine: a good quality, but not too expensive, bottle of red wine that is on the drier side is what you need for the best red wine sangria! I personally use Pinot Nior, but see the ‘FAQ’ section at the end of this post for other wine suggestions.
Orange Liqueur: you can use any orange liqueur you’d like. We’ve personally been using Grand Marnier, but you could also use popular orange liqueurs like Cointreau or Triple Sec.
Brandy: brandy is a liquor made by distilling wine, making it a great add-in for sangria
Sugar: this sangria recipe has just enough sugar included to add the sweetness you want without going overboard and loading your drink with lots of added sugar. See the ‘FAQ’ section for refined sugar free sweetener options if that is your preference!
Fresh Fruit: this fall red sangria is loaded with fresh apples and oranges! While fresh orange slices are a classic sangria ingredient, the apples give this sangria recipe a wonderful fall twist
Cinnamon: Adding cinnamon sticks to your red wine and apple cider sangria recipe really helps build the flavor profile of this batch cocktail. Don’t skip these!
OVERVIEW: HOW TO MAKE SANGRIA
- Add sugar, brandy, and orange liqueur to a large pitcher and stir to help the sugar begin to dissolve
- Add the diced apples and sliced oranges, apple cider, red wine, and 3 cinnamon sticks and stir to combine
- Place pitcher in the fridge for at least 1 hour prior to serving
- Serve in wine glasses with ice and garnished with a cinnamon stick. Top with club soda or sparkling water if desired
BEST RED WINES FOR SANGRIA
Select a good quality wine at a lower price point; one that you would enjoy drinking on it’s own. For red sangria, selecting a red wine that is drier to balance out the sweetness of the fruit is the best choice. The best red wines for sangria:
- Pinot Noir
- Malbec
- Garnacha
- Rioja
- Tempranillo
MAKING SANGRIA FOR A CROWD
Sangria is a great cocktail idea for a large group. You can easily double (or triple) this fall apple cider sangria recipe for a great party drink! You’ll just need to find a large enough container to serve this to a crowd. Or make multiple containers of this that you can bring throughout your event to refresh your guests’ glasses.
This fall red sangria recipe would be a great large batch cocktail recipe for a fall bonfire, dinner party, movie night, girls night, or your next family gathering.
FAQS
What are the best apples to use for this fall sangria recipe? You will want to select a heartier apple that will hold its shape when submerged in the wine cocktail mixture. Using an apple that is good for baking, like Pink Lady, Gala, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Granny Smith, Haralson, or Golden Delicious varieties will give you an apple that will taste delicious and hold it’s shape. All of these varieties of apples would be good choices in fall apple cider sangria recipes!
Can I make this sangria recipe refined sugar free? If you are working to keep refined sugars out of your diet, you can still enjoy this fall sangria recipe with one small swap! In place of the 2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar, use 1 Tablespoons of agave syrup. Alternatively, you could replace the granulated sugar with 1-2 Tablespoons of maple syrup to incorporate another fall flavor and create a refined sugar free cocktail.
How do I make this into a sparkling sangria? If you’d prefer some bubbles in your fall sangria, there are several great ways to do this! Topping your glass with club soda, sparkling water, or lemon-lime soda are all great ways to add bubbles to your beverage (and lighten up your drink as well). If you prefer your sangria on the boozier side (like me), skip the bubbles -OR- get a little wild and top with a sparkling hard cider. Please note, adding additional liquid to your sangria will alter the flavor profile a bit. Make sure to select bubble-options whose flavor will enhance your cocktail experience.
LOVE THIS FALL SANGRIA RECIPE? YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY:
Fall Red Wine Sangria
Ingredients
- 1, 750 ml bottle of red wine* (Pinot Nior)
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 C brandy
- 1/4 C orange liqueur (Grand Mariner)
- 2 C apple cider
- 2 medium apples, cored and diced* (Pink Lady)
- 1 medium orange, sliced
- 3, 3" cinnamon sticks + more for serving
- Optional: club soda or sparkling water for serving*
Instructions
- Add sugar, brandy, and orange liqueur to a large pitcher and stir to help the sugar begin to dissolve
- Add the apples, oranges, apple cider, red wine, and 3 cinnamon sticks and stir to combine
- Place pitcher in the fridge for at least 1 hour prior to serving
- Serve in wine glasses with ice and garnished with a cinnamon stick. Top with club soda or sparkling water if desired
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