The origin of this refreshing drink is not very clear, but what is clear is that everyone likes a good summer red wine when the heat is on.

It is said that summer red wine originated in Cordoba, in a small village called Vargas, where in the local Venta, its owner mixed the wine with siphon (carbonated water); in this way he reduced the wine and refreshed it, making it more palatable in the hot summer.

In the 1960s, soda became popular throughout Spain, mainly due to the advertising of the La Casera brand with its brilliant slogan “Si no hay Casera, nos vamos” (“If there’s no Casera, we’re leaving”). And with this, the summer red wine took the leap to stardom, as soda is the other fundamental ingredient to make a summer red wine.

At Baronía de Turís we are going to tell you the recipe for summer red wine and a series of tips and ideas to surprise your friends this summer.

How to make a good summer red wine.

The most important thing is to choose a good wine, preferably a young wine of the year. Not necessarily an expensive one, but if the wine is bad, the summer red will be bad. So look for a good wine to enjoy your summer red wine to the fullest.

At Baronía de Turís, we are going to recommend you our Bag in box, to always have a good wine at hand in summer and be able to enjoy both the summer red wine and a good wine for your meals. Our Castillo de Turís is a perfect young wine to make a refreshing summer red wine. Above all, because its 3 and 5 litre bottles fit in a fridge to keep your wine always fresh.

We already have a good wine, Castillo de Turís, now we need the soda, at the moment, you have sugar-free sodas on the market, which we recommend if you want to lower the calories of the drink.

Then the most important thing is the ice, if possible, large ice cubes so that they take longer to melt and the drink does not go cold immediately, losing flavour and freshness.

A few slices of lemon are the final touch to add a little acidity and refresh the flavour to cushion the sweetness of the soda.

The ideal is to prepare it in a large, wide glass, a cider glass with a capacity of half a litre is perfect, so we can put 2 or 3 large ice cubes in it.

How to prepare the summer red wine:

  • 1/3 of the glass will be wine.
  • Then add the ice cubes (2 or 3) and the lemon slices.
  • And finally add the soda until the end of the glass.

Depending on your taste, you can add a little less wine to make it softer.

Now we have our summer red wine ready to enjoy.

Let us summarise: What is in a summer red wine:

  • A good young red wine.
  • Soda, with or without added sugar.
  • Large ice cubes.
  • 2 slices of lemon.

What a summer red wine never contains:

A good summer red wine should never contain certain ingredients that can turn it into a “weird” sangria.

Sugar should never be added to summer red wine.

It is not advisable to use lemon soda. Lemon only in a couple of slices.

And it is not advisable to add fruit either, the wine will lose its flavour which is already softened by the soda and the ice.

Suggestions, tricks and tips that improve the tinto de verano.

  • It is important to serve the summer red wine well chilled. It is best to have the wine and soda already in the fridge.
  • Use a large glass and if possible, have it chilled. Put it in the freezer at least half an hour before.
  • Use a good young red wine.
  • To give it a more exotic touch, add a splash of vermouth, which gives it a sparkle that is delicious, although stronger in flavour.
  • If available, you can use siphon instead of soda.
  • Always prepare it before eating. Do not leave it too long.
  • You can garnish with a sprig of mint or mint.
  • Remember that alcohol should be consumed in moderation.