In the world of wine, you have two opposite spectrums of enthusiasts. On one side, you have the educated sommeliers who know everything about how the legs affect the wine's quality and which wines pair best with even unfamiliar meals. Then you have the opposite side -- folks who just enjoy sipping on a tasty beverage among friends. Sangria is a crowd-pleaser for people in both categories. The beauty of this fruity-flavored refreshment is that you don't have to fork over much cash to make it at home.
Joe Mele is a sommelier and co-host of The Wine Pair Podcast, where he aims to make everything vino fun and accessible to the average Joe. When we asked him whether sangria is better with high-quality wine, he didn't hesitate. "The simple answer is no." In fact, not only will it not make a better libation, you'd simply be overdoing it. "You are wasting a good wine if you use it in sangria," Mele said. "Better wines do not make better sangria, and since you are mixing the wine with fruit and other sweeteners, the quality of the wine is not important."
When sangria is served, folks know they're about to have some fun, not get stuck talking to someone they feel like they have to impress with an in-depth knowledge about tannins. "This is a wine for parties and crowds, not for wine snobs or fancy dinners," Mele said. Instead of shelling out big bucks for a top-shelf vintage, think more along the lines of cheap wine from Trader Joe's.