Have you even tried Verdejo wine? It's nutty and fruity but not too sweet. It's my new favorite summer wine, and I'm usually more of a red wine person. Verdejo with figs works well because the wine is subtle enough to let the fig flavor come through. The nuttiness of the wine is also a nice compliment to the fruit. And what's better than eating a fig straight? Eating a fig juicy with your new favorite wine. Chilled with pears, a few allspice berries, and a tiny bit of cinnamon, this is the beginning of fall in a glass – the evenings are still warm, but there’s a hint of cool breeze, and the best crops of the year.

White Wine Sangria with Figs and Pears

Published August 31, 2014 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 4-6 | Total Time: 10 active minutes

Ingredients:

5 figs
1 bartlette pear
1 lemon
1 three-inch cinnamon stick
2 whole allspice berries
3 whole cloves
2 cups white wine, preferably Verdejo (A drier Sauvignon Blanc may be a good sub)
1-1/2 cup pear juice (apple juice will work in a pinch)
2 cups sparkling mineral water or peach-pear La Croix

Directions:

Wash the fruit. Half the figs, and slice the lemon into thin slices, removing seeds. Core the pear and slice it into very thin slices.
Put the sliced fruit and whole spices in the bottom of a jar or pitcher. Pour the wine and juice over fruit. Close the jar. Let the wine marinate with the fruit for at least two hours in the fridge.
To serve: Spoon fruit into glasses, pouring wine to fill half the glass, and top off with sparkling water.