Sangría, red wine and cava

Spain is best known for its many types of sangría. But Spain has more to offer than just sangría. For example, Spain is the third-largest wine country in area in the world. In addition to sangría, Spain also produces many red and white wines and cava.

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The most famous drink from Spain is sangría. Everyone who has been on holiday to Spain has had a glass of sangría. The origins of sangría can be traced back to the 18th century. The British brought a drink called "sangaree" to Spain. There they consumed this drink with dinner and to make the drink less strong for the children, a carbonated drink was added. However, the adult wanted the drink stronger and so liqueur or brandy was added.

There are various sangría recipes. Sangría can be made to everyone's taste. However, the main ingredients for traditional sangria are red wine, carbonated drinks, fruit juice, and fruits. There is also a white variant of sangria, which consists of carbonated water, fruits, a liqueur of your choice, or even vodka for enthusiasts. In Catalonia, white sangría is also often made with cava as the main ingredient. Sangría tastes best if you make it a few hours or even a day in advance and put it in the fridge. This ensures that the flavors can mix well. After the sangria comes out of the refrigerator, ice cubes are added and the sangría is served in a transparent carafe with a wooden spoon in it to remove the fruit from the bottom.

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But Sangría is not the only popular drink in Spain. Red wine is also very popular. The Romans started with viticulture, but towards the end of the Roman era, the Spanish wines were less successful. In the Middle Ages, the monks started making new wine. However, lack of knowledge meant that mainly red wines were made. However, it was not until the end of the 19th century that Spain became internationally known for its red table wines.

In the last century, cava has become more and more famous. Cava is also known as the Spanish variant of French Champagne. Cava is a sparkling white wine produced in Catalonia. There are 7 categories; brut nature, extra brut, brut, extra Seco, semi Seco, and dulce, in order from very dry to sweet. According to experts, the brut is naturally the high-quality variant, as this is the purest form of cava. The real cava can be recognized by the cork, where a four-pointed star can be found.