Best Sangria From The LCBO

Sangria is a total crowd pleaser for its light, fruity taste and deep wine base. It's easy to drink, easy to serve, and can be a refreshing way to cool down during these hot summer days. I often don't have the opportunity to plan all of my drinks ahead, so buying a pre-mixed sangria is ideal.

During a last-minute LCBO run before a party with friends earlier in July, I picked up three of their lower priced bottles to try and compare throughout the evening.

Boone's Sangria $7.40

Medium purple colour; Orange, lime aromas and flavours; Sweet, citrus, grapey/blueberry flavours (Red wine with citrus fruit flavours); Lightly carbonated, rounded palate, sweet finish.
This was the cheapest option on the shelf, and frankly, my favourite! This is often the case with wines, since I'm no connoisseur and I prefer a more fun, fruity option to drink casually with friends. This sangria has a slight fizz, which makes it perfect to drink straight from the bottle, or mixed with some fruit and ice if you want to get fancy.

Real Sangria Spain $9.05

Ruby red colour; red berry, plum and orange aromas; off-dry fruit flavours, light body.
Our friend Ingrid said that this sangria brings her back to the time she spent travelling in Spain - talk about authentic. I loved the rich wine taste to this bottle, with a nice punch of orange flavour and no fizz. You could easily add some extra juice or a carbonated beverage to this one since the alcohol level is 10% vs. the 7.5% in Boone's. I will definitely be purchasing this one again.

Funf 5 Sangria Spain $9.95

Medium pink-ruby colour; delightful aromas of spiced baked apple, macerated cherries, red berry preserve and lemon, with hints of cardamom and clove; off-dry, medium bodied and rounded on the palate, flavours of cooked apple and cherry, fresh raspberry and orange, with notes of toasted spice and citrus peel.

The priciest of the bunch, and totally unique! I was very surprised by the almost herbal flavour that came along with this sangria blend. I noticed the cardamom and clove spice right away, which became more muted after I began to pick up on the fruit flavours. This drink brought us back to mulled wine, as it could even be a good fit for warming up in a pot during the winter.


Next on my list is Mastronardi Sangria ($9.05) which calls for aromas of cherry, raspberry, strawberry and orange peel. Their White Sangria version ($9.05) has a bright golden colour and offers notes of peach, apricot, orange and candied lemon. Yum.

Cheers!
xx