☀️ Spain's Summer Wine (No It's Not Sangria!)

Simple, fresh, and fruity, and you only need five ingredients

Summer solstice is here—the longest day of the year! While most are welcoming the light, I’m over here rooting for thunder, lightning, and rain to overstay their welcome. Because soon, Madrid will crank the oven to high and everything—thoughts, motivation, basic motor function—will slowly roast. I know, weather talk isn’t thrilling (especially in a city that’s blessed with 300 days of sun), but the shift from breezy to broiler is a full-blown melodrama. For some, summer is a celebration. For me, it's an endurance sport involving damp beach towels at bedtime and icy drinks that hydrate and dehydrate in equal measure.

The sun and I have a complicated relationship. I love the idea of it—the golden light, the cheerful mood, the tomatoes it coaxes into ripeness. But my very fair skin burns in what feels like minutes, and with a family history of skin cancer, I take no chances. Shade is my safe space. I’m the one in the oversized hat, swim shirt, and yellow SPF 50 stains on my clothes, plotting my route based on where shadows fall. My annual bloodwork reliably includes a friendly nudge to start taking vitamin D (again), because apparently hiding from the sun like a Victorian ghost has its downsides. I want to be carefree, sun-drenched, and glowing like everyone else, but mostly I’m just anxious about missing a spot with sunscreen while everyone around me looks freshly returned from a spa. I wasn’t built for this type of climate.

One of the saving graces of summer in Spain—especially for those of us who start to wilt around noon—is the deeply civilized tradition of gathering on terrazas (outdoor terraces) after the sun has called it a day. It’s when the air finally stops pressing down and starts to feel almost pleasant, and everyone seems to collectively exhale over something cold and fizzy. Most people know sangria, the sweet wine-and-fruit punch with its vacation-in-a-glass reputation. But let me introduce you introduce sangria’s lesser-known, but very fun cousin: tinto de verano.

Tinto de verano, which translates to means “summer red wine,” is what locals order in place of sangria. It’s red wine mixed with something bubbly (usually lemon soda), poured over ice, and it tastes like summer. My go-to for this and so many other Spanish recipes is Lauren Aloise of Spanish Sabores, who has a gift for demystifying Spanish cooking and making it feel totally doable—even when far from Spain.

Ingredients

You’ll need 4-5 ingredients to make tinto de verano:

1. Red wine (something you don’t mind mixing)

2. Lemon soda or sparkling water (Fanta, San Pellegrino, or Casera)

3. Ice

4. Slices of citrus (lemon, orange, and/or lime)

5. A splash of vermouth (optional, but highly recommended)

How to Make Tinto de Verano

Spanish Tinto de Verano | Photo by PequeRecetas

• Combine ice and citrus slices in a glass

• Add 2-3 parts red wine

• Add 1-2 parts lemon soda or sparkling water

• Top it off with a splash of vermouth

Sip and enjoy the taste of Spain, from anywhere in the world!

Unlike sangria, which requires preparation in advance, tinto de verano can be made on the spot—less complicated and more authentic.

Notes:

• For the fancy mixologists out there: go the extra mile kilometer and add slices of lemon, orange, and lime in between what I call “the good ice,” pebble or cylinder-shaped ice.

• Drop a striped paper straw in the glass for easy sipping.

• In Spain, chilling your red wine in the fridge is perfectly acceptable, in case you needed permission.

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If you also struggle with the heat, stay in the shade and perfect your tinto de verano. Sip all summer long and let me know how it goes in the comments. Salud (cheers)!

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