The Sissy Drinker's Drink

White wine has turned on me. I used to drink it, like normal people, with poached fish and roast chicken. But lately every white wine of my acquaintance has become vinegar. I find it undrinkably acidic with a harsh aftertaste. My poor husband has tried everything—cheap bottles, expensive labels, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc. Alas, the only whites I can tolerate now are sweet dessert wines.

I have been reduced to mixing white wine with fizzy water—yes, it’s called a spritzer—which renders it potable. A spritzer is embarrassingly passé, so I can’t bring myself to order it in a bar or at a party. And, honestly, I don’t love it. But it’s more interesting than plain water, easier to swallow than fizzy water, and it contains about the right level of alcohol for a lightweight like me. I drink it in the privacy of my own home.

Once I resigned myself to spritzer drinking, I realized I didn’t have to limit it to white wine. Red wine and fizzy water is an interesting drink: it’s like a very dry soda—or a very dry, plain sangria. So I decided that if I’m going to water down my wine, I’ll do it in style. Sangria is my ideal drink: it appeals to my sweet tooth, I can drink two whole glasses without falling asleep, and my palate loves the tannins supplied by the red wine.

For a quick sangria, I’ll mix roughly equal parts red wine, fizzy water, and orange juice. Fresh-squeezed is obviously much better than the supermarket carton variety. The type of wine will change the nature of the drink, but as long as it’s a decent one, it’ll work. For a more sophisticated sangria, one un-muddied by juice, use sugar (a quarter cup–plus per bottle of wine) for sweetener; a quarter cup of brandy will round out the flavor.

Adding slices of lemon or orange, especially if you let them soak, will add a bitter edge as well as visual appeal. Apple slices are also cute, and delicious once they’ve absorbed the drink.