Carlo Rossi - Sangria @@@@@ (5 corks)

Retails: $9.99 per jug (Total Wine)

Nothing screams "I'm cheap" like Carlos Rossi. No offense to the rather rotund man on the label but I'm somewhat embarrassed to say that I absolutely love his Sangria. However, when one submits his or herself to jug wine, there are a few rules to be followed before "gettin' jugg-y with it" (y'ouch):

1) DRINK THIS SANGRIA ICE COLD. It's jugg-y-ness is only amplified when warm so do yourself a favor and stick it in the fridge and be sure to put some ice in your cup.

2) Given that it is, after all, JUG WINE, it's perfect for serving at a party due to volume. Just pour into a pretty pitcher and pour into some fun cups and no body will know it came from a jug. Or you can keep it classy like I did with plastic bright red solo cups a.k.a. chalises of kegdom.

3) Add fruit. Slice up some oranges, apples, limes, whatever. It takes five minutes and it really makes it taste as if its homemade.

I celebrated my birthday poolside last weekend with a few friends and successfully served up some Carlo Rossi Sangria with fruit in a pitcher and all I received were compliments. Fools. Mwahahaahahha.

Real Sangria @@@@ (4 corks)

Retails: ? gift, though I've been assured it's under $10

I live with my boyfriend and one of the many bonuses to being in this living arrangement is that he completely embraces my (absurd) obsession with cheap wine. I haven't been horribly successful in getting him into drinking wine on a regular basis, but I have introduced him to the joys of sangria.

As a very sweet surprise, he bought us a giant litre of (so-called) Real Sangria to sample and write about. According to the bottle is imported from Spain, not sure how factual that is but still an interesting attribute. Like I've said, I live in Florida, it's August and it is SO time for some refreshing wine-infused beverages. This one hits the spot for sure! He even compared it to the best sangria ever at our favorite restaurant, Ceviches in Sarasota. I wouldn't go that far, but it's still an impressive bottled sangria. Unlike other bottled varieties, this one actually has a strong fruity flavor with just a hint of dryness. I think the strongest attribute is that it tastes fresh, it doesn't have an overwhelming mass-produced, bottled taste to it. It is smooth and refreshing like a good sangria should be.

Final Words: With a handful of ice cubes, this is an excellent summer treat!

Madria Sangria @@@@ (4 corks)

Retails: $7.99 (Winn Dixie)

OK, so this isn't technically a wine but it is made of wine...and it's mighty delicious on a hot day in Florida, if I do say so myself. Given that it's about 96 degrees outside and 100% humidity, drinking red wine in this weather will give me hot flashes--not that I'm anywhere close to menopause. So, as a brief departure from more commonly found entries, I'm reviewing bottled sangria.

Sangria was the first alcoholic beverage I ever liked. Granted, the first time I had it, it was freshly made--dry Spanish red wine with fresh fruit, seltzer and a splash of brandy. For those of you out there who have never experienced a good sangria, I suggest you hit up your local Spanish tapas restaurant--- some of my favorites locally include : http://www.ceviche.com/ and http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/. Waiters will actually make a pitcher right at your table at both restaurants--Columbia uses Sangre de Torro Spanish red wine, yum! They are both located throughout Florida so, if you happen to be visiting, it's definitely worth a visit. Ceviches in Sarasota, Florida has an awesome rooftop bar and a flamenco dance hall. The Columbia is a Florida tradition, the original in Ybor City (Cuban neighborhood outside Tampa) began at the turn of the century!

There are many bottled varieties of Sangria available. Most of them can be a little lacking in flavor, but Madria Sangria is actually quite tasty. To enjoy bottled sangria you kind of have to forget the fact that it isn't freshly made. Appreciate it for what it is. Madria's is refreshingly crisp: good fruity flavor with undertones of red wine---which is exactly what you want. Sangria isn't made with sweet wines, typically--though some places have started making it with champagne and white wines. There's structure to sangria--fresh, sweet flavors that hide a slightly dry taste underneath. You shouldn't be able to taste the alcohol too fully. This one does a nice job of maintaining the structure a good sangria should have.

Final words: I think I'll have another :) If you'd like to try my sangria recipe, go here: http://roxycape.blogspot.com/2009/04/hazlit-vineyards-red-cat-zinfandel-5.html

Hazlit Vineyards- Red Cat @@@@@ (5 corks)

Retails: $8.99 (Total Wine)

I'm usually an absolute skeptic when it comes to white wine. I'm not quite certain why. I find that more often than not, they are flavorless or extremely acidic with very little complexity. Very few have ever knocked my socks off enough to polish off a whole bottle in one sitting (that's my "excellent wine" barometer).

I also used to date a guy who loved white wines---cheap whites. He once showed up at my house with every bottle of white wine Arbor Mist and Gallo makes (and yes, for the record, Gallo does make some decent wines but their whites are like drinking rubbing alcohol). He also had this annoying habit of opening a bottle, sampling, and re-corking it and moving on to another. I was forced to choke down sip after sip of awful white wine all for the sake of love. Needless to say, the guy is a goner and I'm left with a house full of disgusting half-drank bottles of cheap white wine. At least cheap reds make excellent Sangria...recipe to follow...

ANYWHO, so, Total Wine always features a wine every month and this month it happened to be Red Cat, a ruby red wine with a clever label that sparkled through a clear bottle. I'm a sucker for good design and anything sparkly. Total Wine has yet to lead me astray with their monthly wine picks, so I decided to take my chances and try a bottle. To my delight, it was fruity, refreshing and beautifully light. This is an excellent summer wine---when the weather gets so hot that red wine makes you sweat bullets, pick up a bottle of this and enjoy the cooling sensation of this crisp pick. Living in Florida, this is an excellent all-the-time wine. The color is exquisite, almost the same color as grenadine. You'll taste pomegranate, cherries and even the pucker

roxy.cape's "Bad Red Wine Sangria" Recipe

Ingredients:
- 1 bottle of bad red (or super dry red such as a Burgundy)
- 2 oranges, 1 sliced, 1 juiced
- 2 green apples, sliced
- lime juice
-lemon juice
- 1/4 cup brandy
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup seltzer water

Mix all of the ingredients together in a giant pitcher with a wooden spoon. Mix until the sugar has disolved and the fruits are well mixed. Store in the fridge, serve over ice. Ole!