Yikes, being a blogger can come with its own set of #firstworldproblems. Case in point: Big House Wines kindly sent me a 3 L case of their Cardinal Zin zinfandel ($36.99 at BC Liquor stores) to try out in March, and I'm only posting about it now. (Cue the guilt trip.) But writing about boxed wine during barbecue season seems pretty apropos, no? Especially one with such a patio-party-friendly, serve-it-yourself form factor. The box holds 3 L—the equivalent of 4 bottles—which is plenty to keep guests happy throughout the night.
By itself, Cardinal Zin is just the sort of drinking wine I like: fruity, light, and round-bodied, not too sweet or tannic, and plays nicely with a variety of foods. But this wine's inherent fruitiness really comes into its own as the basis for a refreshing summer sangria. I used Cardinal Zin to make this improvised sangria for a potluck BBQ recently and it was a huge hit. Try it yourself this Canada Day.
You will need:
- About 1 L Big House Wines Cardinal Zin
- 500 ml orange juice
- 1 can ginger ale
- 200 ml rum
- 250 ml water
- Ice
- 1 white nectarine
- 1 lb strawberries
- 1 orange
Slice up the fruit. Combine the liquid ingredients, ice, and sliced fruit in a large pitcher (I used my friend's mason jar dispenser) and stir. Let chill half an hour to an hour before serving.
The best part? The huge Big House Wine box lets you refresh the sangria mixture as necessary, and has enough left inside for the guests who want a plain old glass of red. Cheers!
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