Easy Tinto de Verano Recipe (Spanish Red Wine Cocktail)

Sip sip, hooray! For the best Tinto de Verano recipe! Celebrate warm weather with Spain's favorite, wine-based summer drink. This icy, fruity Spanish red wine cocktail is bursting with zippy citrus and bubbly lemon soda. It's a delicious, simpler alternative to traditional sangria that's easy to make using only 5 simple ingredients.

🍷 What Is A Tinto de Verano?

Tinto de Verano, which means "red wine of summer," is a Spanish red wine cocktail invented in the early 20th century in the South of Spain. It's typically what many Spaniards drink in the summer time instead of sangria.

It's deeply rooted in Spanish drinking culture and stories surrounding the ingredients that make it "authentic" shift somewhat, depending upon who you ask. Traditionally, it's a simple blend of one part Spanish red table wine and one part lemon soda. And the taste; it's refreshing, fruity and zippy with a low alcohol content and not too many calories. Sounds good to me! Pour me a glass right now!

The "right" way to serve this Spanish cocktail is also debatable, as some Spaniards say it should never be served from a pitcher, rather the ingredients should be poured directly into a glass of ice and garnished modestly, with a simple slice of lemon. That’s actually how I make it most of the time. Above all, whichever way you serve it, it's a red wine cocktail meant to be savored, not get you plastered (but that doesn't mean it won't if you drink enough of them!)

🍋 Ingredients For Spanish Red Wine Cocktail (With Substitutions)

• Red Wine - when purchasing red wine for this classic Spanish red wine cocktail, be sure it's a wine you would enjoy drinking on its own. You don't have to spend a lot of money. I recommend a Spanish Rioja or Grenache if you want a Spanish wine, or a pinot noir if it doesn't matter. Remember, not all wine is vegan friendly. For a list of vegan-friendly Spanish wines, visit Barnivore.
• Lemon Soda - in Spain they use traditional brands of "gaseosa" or soda, like Fanta Limón or La Casera to make their Spanish Tinto. If you're not in Spain and don't want to purchase this on Amazon with the links above, you can simply make it with regular or diet Sprite or 7-Up. If it's too sweet for you, add a bit of seltzer water or club soda. If you want it super healthy, opt for lemonade and club soda, instead.
• Citrus Garnishes - to make your Tinto recipe authentic, include only a slice of lemon or orange for garnish (I like to splash some fresh lemon juice on top, as well). Additionally, if you want to go all out, add the lemon and orange slices, as well as other fresh fruits, such as sliced grapefruit and blood oranges and/or fresh strawberries and basil, rosemary or mint.
• Ice - you can either add ice to the pitcher and the glasses, or only to the glasses, to prevent the Verano recipe from getting too diluted before it's poured. Bigger ice cubes work best in this drink.

Find exact ingredient measurements in the recipe card below!

📋 How To Make This Tinto de Verano Recipe

Step 1: Pour the entire bottle of red wine into a large pitcher or carafe.

Step 2: Add the lemon-lime soda.

Step 3: Add lemon wedges, sliced oranges and blood oranges to the pitcher. You can also add ice at this point if you prefer to chill the Spanish wine cocktail before serving.

Step 4: Use a long spoon or stirring utensil to gently stir for just a minute. No need to stir too much. Pour into large glasses filled with ice. Garnish with additional slices of citrus or other fruit and basil, rosemary or mint. Enjoy!

👩🏽‍🍳 Expert Tips

🍊 Variations

🥂 Best Glasses For This Spanish Wine Cocktail

You don't have to get fancy with glasses to make this Spanish cocktail; any wine glass will do. I like using a tall glass or wine goblet so I can get in lots of ice and as much fruit as possible.

🍲 Serving Suggestions

This Spanish red wine cocktail is perfect for sharing at family gatherings or parties coupled with a tasty appetizer like these Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries, Crispy Cauliflower Bites or these Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes. It's also great to sip at lunch, on a hot summer day when you can take a little siesta afterward. Of course, if you prefer something non-alcoholic on a warm day, try my refreshing Agua de Melon or Watermelon Mint Agua Fresca.

💭 Frequently Asked Questions

What does Tinto de Verano mean in English?

Tinto de Verano translates to the "red wine of summer" in English.

What's the difference between Tinto de Verano and Sangria?

One makes Sangria with red, white or rose wine mixed with brandy and sometimes triple sec, some type of soda and lots of fruit garnish (think apples. oranges, berries peaches, etc) over ice. It's best to make it overnight to allow the flavors to meld together beautifully before serving.

The Tinto de Verano recipe is one of the simplest Spanish cocktails and is traditionally made with equal parts red wine and lemon soda with a lemon or orange garnish.

It's often said that, when in Spain, Sangria is for the tourists and the beloved Tinto de Verano, for the locals.

What are the best wines for a Tinto de Verano?

The beauty of this chilled wine drink is that you don't have to splurge on an expensive bottle of wine because once you mix it with the lemon-lime soda, it tastes better. I recommend using a young, fruity, medium bodied wine such as a Spanish Rioja, Spanish Grenache or pinot noir.

Can you use white wine in this Spanish cocktail recipe?

Well, there's no law against it, but then it wouldn't be authentic! And that's a whole other Oprah!

🍹 More Refreshing Cocktails

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📖 Recipe

Tinto de Verano (Spanish Red Wine Cocktail)

Celebrate warm weather with Spain's favorite, wine-based summer drink. This icy, fruity Spanish cocktail is bursting with zippy citrus and bubbly lemon soda. It's a delicious, simpler alternative to traditional sangria that's easy to make using only 5 simple ingredients.

5 from 84 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: alcoholic drinks, beverages

Cuisine: Spanish

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 5 servings

Calories: 210kcal

Author: Deborah

Ingredients

• ▢ 750 ml red wine
• ▢ 750 ml lemon soda lemon-lime Sprite or 7-Up work great
• ▢ 1 lemon sliced
• ▢ 1 orange sliced
• ▢ 1 blood orange sliced
• ▢ ice cubes large work best

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Pour the entire bottle of red wine into a large pitcher or carafe.
• Add the lemon-lime soda.
• Add slices of lemon, oranges and blood oranges to the pitcher. You can also add ice at this point if you prefer to chill the Spanish wine cocktail before serving (if you haven't chilled the ingredients already).
• Use a long spoon or stirring utensil to gently stir all the ingredients together until well-combined. Pour Tinto de Verano into large glasses filled with ice. Garnish with additional slices of citrus or other fruit, basil, rosemary or mint. Enjoy!

Notes

• For the most refreshingly cold Tinto de Verano, chill both the red wine and lemon soda prior to serving.
• Use fresh ripe fruit for the best flavor and aroma.
• Tinto de Verano is best served immediately. It doesn't store well as the summer wine gets diluted with ice and the bubbly lemon soda goes flat.
• Beware! Although this refreshing summer wine cocktail may look like a simple, fruity wine cooler, it can really sneak up on you (don't ask how I found that out!)
• Although traditionally, this Spanish cocktail is made with equal parts wine and soda, you can experiment with the ratios of red wine and soda to find your perfect combination.
• This summer alcoholic beverage is meant to be enjoyed outdoors, in the sunshine. Some people drink it at lunch as an aperitif, some sip it all day long. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 21mg | Potassium: 277mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 73IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg

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