The Best Red Wine Sangria on the Planet!

In the summer of my freshman year in college, after a long day of working at Jordan Marsh, my friends and I would pig-pile into someones car and head down the road to the Ground Round restaurant for a little food and refreshment.  Our "food" was baskets of popcorn and our "refreshment" was almost always a few icy cold pitchers of Sangria. Now, before you go gettin' your dander up.....it was once upon a time when the legal drinking age was 18. Yes, do the math......

I'm 90 years old.

Anyway, it was the first time that I tasted Red Wine Sangria. From the first icy cold, fruity sip, I was hooked. I hadn't had a glass of Sangria in years, when I happened to see it on the menu at Bertucci's quite recently. It was fabulous! Even better than I had remembered.  I immediately knew that I had to re-create it, so after three completely different recipe attempts, this is it.  Fasten your seatbelts.

The Best Red Wine Sangria on the Planet

2 large juice oranges, washed; one orange sliced; remaining orange juice

1 large lemon, washed and sliced

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

1/4 cup Triple Sec

1 (750 ml.) bottle inexpensive but fruity red wine, chilled

When you're buying the red wine, be sure to buy the cheapest kind they sell...you know, like we did in college. Before we had real jobs.

Add sliced oranges, apples, lemons and sugar to large pitcher; mash gently with wooden spoon until fruit releases some juice, but is not totally crushed, and sugar dissolves, about 1 minute.

My mouth is starting to water.

               Stir in orange juice, Triple Sec, and wine, then refrigerate for at least 2, and up to 8, hours.

Then just stand and stare at them.  Aren't they pretty??

            Before serving, add a dozen ice cubes to each pitcher and stir briskly to distribute settled fruit and pulp. Serve immediately.  

Warning:  Once you taste this Sangria, you will want to keep it for yourself.  I am here to tell you that no good can come from this.  You will become a Sangria Hoarder. TLC Network will make a reality show about you and with the cameras rolling, they'll hire counselors to talk you out from under the front porch, clutching your half empty pitcher of Sangria. It's not a pretty picture, is it? Maybe you should just call your friends to come over and help you drink it. We'll just keep the Sangria Hoarding thing between us. 

Mums the word.....

unless she likes Sangria too.