Consider this blueberry sangria your sign to invite the girls over and put something fun in the pitcher. It is fruity, bubbly, and easy enough to mix before your guests arrive. With bold blueberry flavor and simple make-ahead prep, it feels right at home at showers, picnics, and laid-back Southern gatherings!
Fresh blueberries look pretty floating in sangria, but they need a little help to bring big berry flavor. Blueberry juice is my secret here because it deepens the blueberry taste in every glass without making you cook a syrup or mash a whole carton of berries!
As a dietitian, I would love to count this as a serving of fruit, but let's just call it a very fun way to enjoy blueberries!
This is the kind of easy party drink I love for Southern summer hosting. Mix it before everyone arrives, tuck it into the refrigerator, and get back to setting out the snacks or actually enjoying your own party.
Love easy summer sips? Try my summer punch mocktail, strawberry mint julep, or pineapple ranch water for more fun drinks to serve at warm-weather gatherings.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Bold blueberry flavor: Blueberry juice carries the berry flavor through every sip instead of leaving all the work to the fresh fruit.
- Easy party prep: Mix one pitcher before guests arrive so you can spend less time making drinks and more time enjoying the party.
- Flexible sweetness: Finish it with club soda for a lighter sip or lemon-lime soda for a sweeter, more playful pour.
- Perfect for making ahead: A few hours in the refrigerator gives the wine, brandy, citrus, and berries time to blend into a smoother, fruitier drink.
Keep the summer sangria recipes going with my sangria slushie and Georgia peach sangria, for more easy, fruity drinks.
Ingredients
This fruity pitcher cocktail makes summer hosting feel special without keeping you stuck behind the drink table.
- Blueberry wine: Use blueberry wine as the base for the boldest berry flavor. If you can't find one, swap in a fruity red wine blend, Merlot, Garnacha, Tempranillo, or Pinot Noir!
- Brandy: Brandy adds warmth and depth while giving the drink a more traditional sangria flavor.
- Blueberry juice: Blueberry juice deepens the berry flavor in every sip without requiring a homemade syrup.
- Fresh blueberries: Firm, plump blueberries add fresh fruit flavor and make the pitcher look beautiful.
- Orange slices: Fresh orange slices bring brightness and help balance the sweet berries and brandy.
- Club soda or lemon-lime soda: Club soda keeps the sangria lighter, while lemon-lime soda creates a sweeter, more playful finish.
- Ice: Add ice to individual glasses so it chills the drink without watering down the entire pitcher.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
Give yourself permission to make this pitcher fit your party and the ingredients you already have.
- Create a less-sweet sangria by choosing a dry red wine, lower-sugar blueberry juice, and club soda.
- Make a sweeter sangria with lemon-lime soda or a small amount of simple syrup added after chilling.
- Turn it into a white wine blueberry sangria with Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or a dry Riesling.
- Add raspberries, blackberries, or sliced strawberries when you want a colorful sangria with berries and even more fresh summer flavor.
- Swap in frozen blueberries to help chill the pitcher, but expect them to soften and release more color as they thaw.
- Leave out the brandy for a lighter sangria that still has plenty of fruity flavor.
- Add a few sprigs of mint or basil to give the sangria a fresh herb finish.
- Make a nonalcoholic blueberry punch by replacing the wine with alcohol-free red wine or cranberry-blueberry juice and omitting the brandy.
How to Make Blueberry Sangria
This easy blueberry sangria recipe takes just a few minutes to mix before chilling.
Step 1: Add the blueberries and orange slices to a large pitcher. For deeper berry flavor, gently press a small portion of the blueberries with a wooden spoon, but leave most of them whole so the sangria does not become pulpy.
Step 2: Pour the blueberry wine, blueberry juice, and brandy over the fruit, then stir gently to combine.
Step 3: Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for at least 2 to 4 hours. For a stronger fruit flavor, chill it for 6 to 8 hours, or prepare it the night before and wait to add the sparkling soda.
Step 4: Right before serving, stir in club soda, lemon-lime soda, or a combination of both, if desired.
Step 5: Fill individual glasses with ice, pour in the sangria, and spoon a few blueberries and orange slices into each glass.
Tips for the Best Blueberry Wine Sangria
A few easy tricks will help you create a pitcher that tastes just as good as it looks.
- Start with well-chilled ingredients so the sangria cools quickly and needs less time in the refrigerator.
- Add ice to individual glasses instead of the pitcher so melting ice does not dilute the entire batch.
- Gently crush only a few berries to create deeper blueberry flavor without making the drink pulpy.
- Stir in the sparkling topper right before serving to keep the bubbles fresh and lively.
- Taste the mixture before adding extra sugar because the juice and blueberry wine may already make the sangria sweet enough.
Storage
This recipe is made for easy entertaining, but a little planning helps the fruit and bubbles stay fresh.
- Make ahead: Combine the fruit, brandy, blueberry juice, and wine up to one day before serving. Wait until just before serving to add club soda or lemon-lime soda.
- Leftovers: Store leftover sangria in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, although the fruit will continue to soften and the soda will lose its fizz.
FAQ
Brands and wineries that make blueberry wine include Rabbiteye Wine in Georgia, Georgia Winery, Stella Rosa, and Casa Rossa, though availability varies by location.
Choose a blueberry juice or blueberry-forward juice blend that tastes good on its own and is not overly sweet, since the wine and soda may add more sweetness.
Yes, lemon slices, lime slices, strawberries, blackberries, or raspberries all pair well with blueberry wine and give the sangria a slightly different flavor.
Not always, since blueberry wine and juice can already make the sangria sweet enough, so taste it after chilling before adding simple syrup or lemon-lime soda.
A 2-quart pitcher gives the wine, fruit, juice, and optional soda enough room to mix without spilling over the top.
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Thank you!
Jessie
Summer Blueberry Wine Sangria
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 medium orange thinly sliced and cut into halves
- 750 ml bottle blueberry wine
- 1 cup blueberry juice
- ½ cup brandy
- 1 to 2 cups club soda or lemon-lime soda chilled (optional)
- Ice for serving
- Extra orange slices, blueberries, or mint for serving
Instructions
- Add the blueberries and orange slices to a large pitcher. For deeper berry flavor, gently press a small portion of the blueberries with a wooden spoon, but leave most of them whole so the sangria does not become pulpy.
- Pour the blueberry wine, blueberry juice, and brandy over the fruit, then stir gently to combine.
- Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for at least 2 to 4 hours. For a stronger fruit flavor, chill it for 6 to 8 hours, or prepare it the night before and wait to add the sparkling soda.
- Right before serving, stir in club soda, lemon-lime soda, or a combination of both, if desired.
- Fill individual glasses with ice, pour in the sangria, and spoon a few blueberries and orange slices into each glass.
Notes
- Use a fruity red wine such as a red blend, Merlot, Garnacha, Tempranillo, or Pinot Noir if you cannot find blueberry wine.
- Choose club soda for a lighter, less-sweet sangria or lemon-lime soda for a sweeter finish.
- Taste the sangria after chilling because blueberry wine and blueberry juice can vary in sweetness.
- Add the sparkling soda just before serving so the bubbles stay fresh.
- Keep ice out of the pitcher and add it to individual glasses to prevent the sangria from becoming diluted.
- Prepare the sangria the night before if needed, but wait to add the sparkling soda until serving.
- Store leftover sangria covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, then add a fresh splash of club soda before serving because the bubbles will fade.
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