Sangria

Sweet white wine gives a springtime twist to Spain's refreshing red wine based punch.

• 750ml fruity white wine, chilled
• 2 cups fresh pineapple juice, chilled
• 1 cup fresh orange juice, chilled
• 1/3 cup vanilla-flavoured vodka
• 1 large apple, cored, cut into 1cm pieces
• 125g strawberries, washed, hulled, quartered
• 10 large fresh mint leaves, torn
• Ice cubes, to serve

Combine the wine, pineapple juice, orange juice, vodka, apple, strawberry and mint in a large serving bowl or jug. Divide the ice among serving glasses. Top with the sangria and serve immediately. Serves 8.

• 750ml dry white wine, such as Semillon-chardonnay, chilled
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened apple juice, chilled
• 1 1/2 cups peach juice, chilled
• 6 thin slices (about 1/4) lemon
• 1/2 small orange, thinly sliced
• 1/2 lime, thinly sliced
• 10 round mint leaves

Place all ingredients in a 2-liter jug with ice. Stir to combine then serve immediately.

• 3 each of small white and yellow peaches, sliced
• 2 oranges, quartered, sliced
• 150ml tequila
• 1.5 liter rose, chilled
• 2 cups ice cubes
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, chilled
• 2 cups lemonade, chilled

Place peaches and oranges in a bowl, then pour over tequila and 1 bottle of rose. Refrigerate for 30 minutes for flavors to develop. Transfer mixture to a large jug one-quarter filled with ice, add remaining wine, juice and lemonade and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Rose is a refreshing addition to this sweet Spanish fruit punch that's infused with a blend of vanilla, citrus and herbs.

• 500g seedless watermelon, rind removed, cut into thin wedges
• 2 limes, thinly sliced
• 2 tbs caster sugar
• 2/3 cup Licor 43 liqueur or orange-flavored liqueur
• 2 x 750ml btls rose, chilled
• 1.25 liter Schweppes traditional lemonade, chilled

Place the watermelon and lime in a large serving jug. Sprinkle with the sugar and pour over the Licor 43. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes to develop the flavours. Add the rose and lemonade to the watermelon mixture and stir until combined. Pour among serving glasses and serve. Serves 10.

• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1.5 liter white wine (such as Riesling)
• 1 1/2 cups orange juice
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 2 tbs lime juice
• 1/2 cup mint or lemon balm leaves
• Ice, orange, lime and lemon slices to serve

Combine sugar, water, vanilla bean and seeds and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring for 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Simmer for 2 minutes or until syrup thickens. Pour into a small container and place in the fridge to chill. Combine the vanilla syrup, wine, orange, lemon and lime juices, mint, citrus slices and ice in a jug. Serve immediately.

• 1 orange, quartered, each quarter thinly sliced crossways
• 1 granny smith apple, cored, quartered, each quarter thinly sliced crossways
• 3/4 cup Cointreau
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 1.5 liter sparkling Shiraz, chilled
• 2 cups chilled lemonade
• 1 cup ice cubes, to serve

Place the orange, apple, Cointreau and sugar in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill and allow the flavors to develop. Add the sparkling Shiraz, lemonade and ice cubes to the fruit mixture. Transfer the sangria to a jug. Pour among 8 serving glasses and serve immediately.

• 1 liter dry red wine
• 3/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 3 limes, juiced
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 2 apples, peeled, cored, diced
• Ice cubes, to serve
• 1 lime, extra, sliced, to serve

Combine wine, orange juice, brandy, lime juice and sugar in a large jug and stir until sugar has dissolved. Add apples. Place ice cubes into 8 tall glasses. Pour in sangria. Serve garnished with lime slices.

• 4 oranges
• 2 lemons
• 1 apple, unpeeled, core removed, diced
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 750ml red wine 
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 750ml bottle soft drink - lemonade, soda water or ginger ale

Thinly slice one orange and one lemon. Cut each slice into small wedges and place in a large bowl. Add apple, cinnamon and brandy and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Juice remaining oranges and lemon. Combine 1 1/2 cups wine, 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, 1 1/2 cups soft drink, 1/4 cup orange juice and 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice in a jug. Add half the apple mixture. Stir to combine. Repeat with remaining ingredients in another jug. Spoon crushed ice into 8 tall glasses. Pour over sangria and serve.

• 2 oranges
• 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 1 1/2 cups orange juice
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 750ml sparkling Shiraz, chilled
• 2 cups soda water, chilled

Remove rind from one of the oranges and one of the lemons. Cut rind into very thin strips. Juice the orange and lemon and reserve the juice. Add enough orange and lemon juice so you have 1 1/2 cups and 1/3 cup respectively. Thinly slice remaining orange and lemon and set aside. Combine rind, sugar, water and cinnamon in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring for 1 minute or until sugar dissolves. Transfer to a jug and place in the fridge to chill. Combine chilled syrup, brandy, juices and reserved sliced orange and lemon in a large jug or serving bowl. Add wine and soda water and serve immediately.

• 1 cup orange juice, strained
• 1.5 liters rose wine
• 1/3 cup orange-flavored liqueur (optional)
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 1 orange, halved, very thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, halved, very thinly sliced
• 250g strawberries, hulled, thinly sliced
• 2 cups sparkling mineral water, chilled
• 3 cups ice cubes

Combine orange juice, wine, liqueur and sugar in a large bowl and stir to dissolve sugar. Add orange and lemon slices. Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to develop. Add strawberries, mineral water and ice just before serving.

• 1/3 cup brandy
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 2 cups unsweetened apple juice
• 750ml dry white wine
• 1 pink lady apple, cored, diced
• 2 mandarins, peeled, segmented
• 250g strawberries, hulled, thinly sliced
• 1.25 liters soda water, chilled

Combine brandy, sugar, apple juice and wine in a jug. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Add apple and mandarin. Cover. Refrigerate overnight for flavors to develop. Add strawberries and soda water to brandy mixture and serve. Serves 8.

• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 750ml dry white wine
• 1 orange, sliced, cut into small wedges
• 1 pink lady apple, cored, diced
• 250g seedless red grapes
• 1.25 liters soda water, chilled
• ice cubes, to serve

Combine sugar, brandy and wine in a large jug. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add orange, apple and grapes. Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow flavours to develop. Add soda water and ice just before serving.

• 4 cups dry white wine
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 red apples, unpeeled, cored, cut into 1cm pieces
• 2 oranges, peeled, cut into 1cm pieces
• 1/4 (about 800g) honeydew melon, peeled, deseeded, cut into 1cm pieces
• 250g strawberries, hulled, washed, quartered lengthways
• 3 cups ice cubes, to serve

Pour wine into a serving jug. Combine the sugar and brandy in a bowl and stir until sugar dissolves then and add the brandy mixture to the wine and stir to combine. Add orange and lemon juice, apple, orange, melon and strawberries. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill and develop the flavors. Add ice cubes to sangria and serve.

This red wine punch is a traditional alcoholic Sangria.

• 1 lemon, sliced, seeded
• 1 orange, sliced, seeded
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 750ml Spanish red wine
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 2 cups soda water

Place the lemon and orange slices, sugar, wine and brandy in a jug. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Top up with the soda water and serve.

• 1 liter blackcurrant juice
• 1 lemon juice
• sparkling water
• peach and orange slices

Mix the ingredients together and serve with ice. For an exotic taste replace half of blackcurrant juice with red wine.

This is a refreshing drink for the cocktail hour. Use any kind of black tea you like; fruit-flavored ones are particularly nice.

• 4 cups water
• Two tea -bags
• 4 to 5 tablespoons sugar
• 1 peach or apple, peeled, pitted or seeded, chopped
• Four large strawberries, hulled, halved
• One orange, all peel and white pith removed, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1- cup dry red wine
• Ice cubes

Bring water to boil in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add tea bags; steep 3 minutes. Remove tea bags; pour tea into pitcher. Add sugar to taste and stir until sugar dissolves. Cool. (Can prepare one day ahead if desired. Cover and refrigerate.)
Mix fruit in bowl. Divide among four 16-ounce glasses. Pour 1/4-cup wine, then 1-cup tea into each glass. Fill glasses with ice cubes and serve.
Recipe makes four servings Iced Tea Sangria with Fresh Fruit.

• 1 gallon spring water
• 8 to 10 teabags of tea or 8 heaping teaspoons of loose-leaf black tea
• 2 cups fresh fruit (thin rounds of sliced oranges, limes, lemons, peeled and sliced kiwi, berries, washed and dried, with stems removed, quarters of cored pears, Asian pears or apples)

In a large pot, heat the water to almost boiling then brew the tea for 5 minutes or longer. Make ice cubes of brewed tea, water or juice.
When ready to serve, put tea cubes in pitcher and add the fruits, then pour brewed tea over all and serve in chilled glasses.
Garnish with a wedge of lime or orange.