Cherry Sangria

Enjoy the tasty and beautiful nature of fresh cherries this summer in this cherry sangria made with white wine!

I mentioned previously that I was researching sangria recipes to start testing out my own mixes before the wedding. Originally, we wanted his and hers cocktails to offer to our guests before and during dinner. Our venue, however, only allows beer and wine, so we’ve had to improvise.

Inspired by a local pizza chain here in LA, I started dreaming of red and white sangrias for the cocktail hour. Without spirits, sangria recipe creation requires a bit of innovation.

I think with fresh fruits and some tasty infused syrups, we’ll have some great drinks to offer (fingers crossed!). This cherry sangria with chardonnay is my first round of recipe testing and I’m loving it so far.

I went a little crazy with the lemon juice at first, but by the end the balance was perfect! I think it’ll take some practice to get the mix right at the beginning before the flavors marry (haha – pun intended)!

Cherry Sangria

I LOVE fresh cherries in the summer. I have so many fond memories of being on the lake near our house eating cherries with family and friends, thinking life was pretty fantastic. It might be the color or the flavor, but they bring a happy joy to my heart either way.

Cherry Sangria Ingredients

Chardonnay Wine

A bottle of Chardonnay wine provides a nice earthiness and a great balance to sweet cherries.

Frozen Cherries

Frozen cherries make this sangria come together quickly. You can use fresh cherries, I’d just recommend pitting them and freezing them for at least an hour before adding them to the sangria.

If you would prefer to leave them whole, you absolutely can. I’d recommend juicing some of the cherries to add in to be certain the cherry flavor is present. You could also buy cherry juice to use, which sounds a lot easier!

Elderflower Liqueur

I love elderflower liqueur. It has a sweet, floral flavor that I really like with the cherries in here. You can also use elderflower syrup.

Club Soda

This adds a great bubbly effervescence to the cherry sangria and helps calm the bold Chardonnay flavor.

Lemons

Lemon juice and lemon slices bring this whole drink together!

How to Make Cherry Sangria

Mix Liquid Ingredients

In a large pitcher, combine the wine, elderflower liqueur, club soda, simple syrup and lemon juice.

Crush Cherries

In a small bowl, crush thawed cherries to begin releasing juice. Add mashed and frozen cherries and lemon slices to the pitcher.

Chill

Let the cherry sangria chill for at least 2 horus before serving.

Want more sangria recipes? Other summer favorites include plum sangria, cantaloupe sangria, strawberry sangria, nectarine sparkling rose sangria, and watermelon sangria!

For the cooler months, try raspberry sangria with thyme (made with frozen berries), kiwi & prosecco sangria, winter sangria made with white wine, Riunite Lambrusco sangria, and this fall sangria recipe!

And don’t miss my brunch sangria – great any day of the year!

If you love cherries, try this bbq dessert and this cherry galette!