OK, so here’s a review that’s a little different than most that we do here, due to the fact that this is really a “wine drink” rather than just a wine. In other words, flavors were added— citrus flavors, to be exact. Given that fact, I’m not going to give it a score, because my scoring methods require measures like “varietal correctness” and I have no way to gauge that. Instead, I’ll just give you the scoop on my thoughts about sangria and about this Reál Sangria.
First of all, I love sangria. Red sangria is actually the first wine drink I remember tasting when I was just 13 years old on a visit to Spain. But I like both red sangria and white sangria. I’ve made them both numerous times. When I make sangria, I just use some inexpensive Spanish wine (usually grenache), fresh fruit, some brandy, triple sec, sugar and Sprite or just a club soda. Here’s my sangria recipe, for the red version anyway. So, I’m accustomed to mixing my own sangria rather than using a pre-made version, but I was curious how Reál Sangria would compare.
Reál Sangria White is labeled as being made with Spanish white wine and natural citrus flavors. I’m not really sure what that means. I would expect it to have natural citrus juices, but that’s not what it says. The label also states that the alcohol level is 7 – 10%, which struck me as odd as I would expect a consistent production process to yield a consistent alcohol level. I inquired with the PR rep about that, but didn’t get a reply. It retails for $6.99 – $8.99 (depending on region) for a 750 ml bottle.
The aromas smell much more orange-like than wine-like, and it’s kind of an artificial orange too. It reminds me a bit of Sunkist soda. On the palate, it’s very sweet — which is to be expected from a wine in the 7 – 10% abv range. And I don’t have a problem with sweet wines as long as that sweetness is well balanced with acidity. But this drink is somewhat off-balance to me with a sugary sweetness that overpowers any other flavors. The aftertaste is that of sugar-coated orange slices — you know, the candy ones.
It’s best served on ice, and/or used as a mixer (i.e. add a bunch of fresh fruit or fruit juice to it). On its own, this isn’t really my cup of tea, due to the fact that I can’t really taste anything wine-like in it. I prefer my sangria to have more wine flavors along with fresh citrus and other fruits.
Given that this didn’t strike my fancy, I asked my wife, Robyn, to give it a shot. She loves sangria — even more than I do — although we both generally prefer red versus white. Her review: “It’s pretty good on ice, with a salty snack… if you’re desperate.” She then finished the bottle.
I guess she was desperate.
Disclosure: This product was received as a sample.