It’s been more than a year (!) since making my last sangría and this is quite a shame, considering the summer will slowly be taking its leave here (it’s still warm, but NOT so hot anymore). I’ve posted about sangría before and today I have a new version for you, one without bubbles (no Fanta, that is) but with South African “red bush tea” instead. Since I like to spice my rooibos tea, I prepared it with fennel seeds and a cinnamon stick. It paired nicely with our favorite Spanish wine and with the selection of plums and blueberries which helped enhance the aroma of sangría even more.

For rooibos tea:
500ml water
1 Tbsp fennel seeds, crushed
5 cm cinnamon stick
1-2 Tbsp rooibos loose tea
(blond) cane sugar to your liking (depends on the sweetness of your wine, too)

Prepare the rooibos tea by bringing water to boil together with fennel seeds and cinnamon stick. Add rooibos, remove from the stove, cover and let stand for 10-15 minutes. Filter and sweeten. Let cool completely.

The rest of the ingredients:
different sorts of plums
blueberries, fresh or frozen
300ml red wine to your liking
ice cubes (optional)

Wash the fruit and slice the plums, removing their pits. Place the slices in a jar, add rooibos and wine. Transfer the jar into the fridge and let sit for a couple of hours. Serve chilled over some ice cubes (if desired) and with straw.

This is a nice (and healthier) alternative to the classic sangría. Not everybody’s case, I’d guess, but anyway if you like to experiment with tastes like myself, you might want to give it a try!