Strawberry Rhubarb White Wine Sangria

Strawberry season is in full swing so it's time for me to make my Strawberry Rhubarb Sangria! I love a classic red wine sangria as much as the next girl but let's be honest, I can't serve red wine sangria all summer long, right? Right! Like any savvy girl I have a few favorite sangria recipes up my sleeve, like this Stawberry Rhubarb White Wine Sangria.

The major inspiration for this fruity white wine sangria is that it's strawberry season! Yay! Strawberry season around here is pretty short-lived so I try to make the most of it each year by using it in just about everything I make. True story. Rhubarb season on the other hand stretches all summer long, which means it's pretty much available in any backyard garden all of the time. It's no wonder why strawberry rhubarb is such a classic summer flavor: rhubarb with it's beautiful tart dark pink stalks and strawberries with their bright red color and sweet flavor, both ready in the garden in the same season. It was just naturally instinctive to try a crisp white sangria with strawberries and rhubarb. It's tart, it's sweet, and reminds me of homemade pie.

​Strawberry season signals the start of the summer. It ties in with the last day of school and the start of camping season. I celebrated our first day out at the lake this summer by making a pitcher of this delightful sangria. I shared it with my mother-in-law and my husband's aunt who was visiting and brought a pitcher down to the dock at our neighbours. Let's just say that everyone was happy to see me! Haha! These gorgeous strawberries were picked locally and the garden rhubarb came out of my garden. Together they make a delicious sangria! This drink will be sure to please any white wine drinker and you may even convert a few red wine drinkers too!
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INGREDIENTS

- 8 rhubarb stalks chopped, about 2 cups
- 1 pint of strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1/2 cup of blueberries
- 1/4 cup of sugar (optional)
- 1 bottle of white wine
- 1/4 cup of Triple Sec or other liqueur such as Brandy
- 1 bottle of sparkling water, or soda water in a pinch


DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan bring about 2 cups of fresh water to boil
2. Add chopped rhubarb and half of the strawberries and reduce the heat to medium low
3. Simmer the rhubarb and strawberries until the rhubarb becomes very tender, about 10 minutes and let cool for 10 minutes, you don't want to work with it when it's too hot
4. In a fine colander or mesh strainer drain the liquid into a pitcher and discard the rhubarb and strawberry pulp, you can then strain the liquid through a cheesecloth to remove even the tiniest pieces if you wish, but this step is optional
5. Add the bottle of white wine to the strawberry rhubarb liquid and stir
​6. Return the pot to the stove and add 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of water to make a simple sugar, once the sugar has dissolved you can add some or all of it it to the mix, start off with half of the simple syrup and taste and add more if desired, or just add all of it if you like a sweet sangria
7. Add the rest of the strawberries and blueberries and any fruit of your choice and the Triple Sec and refrigerate for four hours or until completely chilled
8. When ready to serve add a tray of ice cubes and top off with sparkling water
9. When serving the sangria spoon out some of the fruit and ice if it doesn't pour into the glasses and enjoy!