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At someone's suggestion, without tasting it, I purchased several bottles of Block 823. I do not care for it, and I'm wondering if I can use this wine to make sangria?

Would you like to regift it? I could trade you some basil.

café au lait wrote:At someone's suggestion, without tasting it, I purchased several bottles of Block 823....

Ah, I only wish the archives were up so I could revisit the post where I called this wine a sham.

Technically you can use any wine for sangria. If you use a yucky wine in sangria and it tastes terrible, try using some Delaware Punch Concentrate to knock back the taste from the wine while adding a little grape flavor. This has worked for us in the past before we settled on one wine for sangria use.

Is it an expensive wine? If so, save it for the holidays & give it to clients or something.

If not, then cook with it. I have sometimes bought wines that were inexpensive, & I didn't like them, but they are fine to cook with. You're just wanting the effect of the alcohol on the food (some seasonings are alcohol soluble) & the "essence" or the "richness" of the flavor of the wine.

PNG wrote:Technically you can use any wine for sangria. If you use a yucky wine in sangria and it tastes terrible, try using some Delaware Punch Concentrate to knock back the taste from the wine while adding a little grape flavor. This has worked for us in the past before we settled on one wine for sangria use.

Not that this wine is 'yucky', I guess what I'm really asking is if there is a particular red for making sangria or will any red do? I love drinking sangria, but I've never made any myself. I just thought since I have this on hand, if it can be used as a base, I would make the sangria with it rather than buying something else.

Try an inexpensive Spanish Grenache or Graham's Six Grapes if you want something a little heavier. Basically find a Spanish red or white that you enjoy that does not cost very much.

PNG wrote:Try an inexpensive Spanish Grenache .....

Inexpensive Spanish Grenache's are GREAT!

Look for one by Altimara called Los Dos or one by Castillo di Almansa. They're both under $9.

I'm out for the day, gotta go get ready for the seminar I'm hosting with Georg Riedel tonight.

I bought lots of Los Dos from you, so I have that on hand for sure. Thanks!