Joanne Weir is responsible for this painting – indirectly. I happened upon an episode of Joanne Weir’s Cooking Class on PBS just as she was concocting a big pitcher of sangria. It was a hot summer day, so it was probably a re-run playing, but it was the perfect day for me to see it. I was hot, thirsty, and in the perfect mood for a cold fruity sangria.

I was hooked and made my first pitcher a few days later. This painting, Sangria Flamingo, represents the joy I felt learning to make this delicious concoction to enjoy & share with friends. My hope is that it brings some of that feeling to you as well. I have the painting hanging in my art studio at the School of Visual Philosophy ready to show this weekend for Silicon Valley Open Studios – May 18 & 19th, 11am-5pm. If you’re in the area, I hope you’ll stop by.

I don’t have an exact recipe for you, but here’s how I make it. I use a nice big glass pitcher that holds about 1 1/2 bottles of wine. Regarding the fruit you choose, it’s flexible, select fruit you like. Slice some citrus like oranges, limes, or lemons very thin and line the pitcher with the citrus slices – this is for appearance only, but I think that’s as important as taste. I use oranges and limes. As you line the pitcher, add the other fruit to the center. This will help hold the slices in place. In the center, use fruit like berries (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries) and sweet slices of ripe peaches, nectarines, plums or mangoes. Then pour the wine over the fruit to fill the pitcher and chill for several hours to let the flavors of the fruit come out.

Tip: I often use an inexpensive citrusy white wine named Pomelo. Joanne used a white wine, but if you prefer red wine, then use that. I often use frozen berries and peaches. The advantages are that they chill the wine fast, you don’t have to spend time washing and cutting fruit, and the flavors of the fruit infuse into the wine faster as they thaw. This way I don’t have to wait as long for my first taste of sangria. As the pitcher empties, I add more wine and then the fruit flavors are more dilute, but still enjoyable. Enjoy!