This Sparkling Summer Peach Sangria Recipe is cool, refreshing and the perfect summer drink to make any occasion special!

Thank you Total Wine & More for inviting me to the Grand Opening event and sponsoring this post! The opinions and text are all mine.

Last week, Hubby and I were lucky enough to be invited to the grand opening event of Austin’s newest Total Wine & More location. (Pays to be a good customer I guess!)

We rarely have a chance to get out and do fun stuff like this, so when the invitation came through, I immediately RSVP’d YES!

Their newest location is located near the Arboretum (which is home to some of my favorite places to shop and dine) and I was happy to have the chance to attend the party. (Who wouldn’t want the opportunity to get dressed-up, listen to live music all while sampling amazing wines, cheeses, craft beers and other goodies. And yes, that is a cheese carving of Texas and the Total Wine and More logo! )

I found so many goodies I wanted to take home with me. Total Wine and More has just about anything you could want, rows and rows of Craft Beers and entire side of the store dedicated to wine. They also have wine tastings, classes, and events every week!

After browsing through the store and tasting everything offered that evening, I found a Pinot Grigio I loved and was inspired to create this light and fruity summer sangria recipe to share with you today.

What kind of wine is best for Sangria?

A classic Sangria is drink of made with red wine combined with a citrus juice, fruit, and spices. The name sangria comes from the traditional color of the red wine. Many people use port wine as a base since it is already slightly sweetened.

That being said, Sangria is actually very flexible; just use your favorite wine. If you like the wine, you can’t lose! Whites, reds, rosé, moscato, or prosecco and any combination of your favorite summer fruit will pair wonderfully.

How to make a Sparkling Fruit Sangria:

To make a Sangria, you need at least two kinds of fruit, and since this recipe is peach based, you’ll want to use the ripest peaches you can find and a citrus fruit.

I went with oranges since that is what I had on hand, but you could use lemon, lime, tangerine or grapefruit, plus any other combination of summer fruit you think sounds good. To make it sparkling, you will add in a sparkling water to the mixture. (I used a peach sparkling water – so good!)

How long does Sangria need to sit before serving:

The other important thing to know about sangria… DO NOT taste it when you first mix it together! If you do, you will be very disappointed. Sangria needs to sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours. The fruit needs time to blend with the wine for the final flavor to shine through. (Of course, I tasted it immediately, so I can attest to this, and the next day? AMAZING!)

Depending on the fruit you use, longer might even be better. Citrus fruits and stone fruits hold up well in the wine, but soft fruits and berries will begin to soften to the point of being mushy after a day or too.

Can you add more alcohol to Sangria?

The short answer? Yes! Personally, I prefer a weaker cocktail and for this recipe, I have left out the additional alcohol that you normally find in Sangria. If desired, you can add up to 4 oz of brandy or flavored liqueur per bottle of wine used.

This Sparkling Summer Peach Sangria Recipe is the perfect summer drink!