White Wine Sangria with Figs and Pears
/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
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.