Recipes & Food Styling

White Wine Sangria

 36 hours in Madrid! I’ll always remember when crew scheduling woke me up with a phone call in the middle of the night (not the first or last time) with instructions to deadhead from LaGuardia airport to Miami to catch up with a Miami crew headed for – Madrid! Within hours, my feet were on the ground in Spain, and I had never been!

This was back in the days before there were oh-so-many destinations in the AA system, so I was beyond delighted!

The Miami crew was so welcoming, and Christmas lights were everywhere in the Plaza Mayor! It was so beautiful and fabulous!

We walked around and then crowded into a festive eatery in the southwest corner of the plaza – the now world-renowned Meson de la Tortilla! Sangria, tapas and unforgettable conversation!

This was long before Internet, and in a time when restaurants were more than happy to take the time to sell you a souvenir like this darling clay pitcher that held our sangria that night. Refill after refill! I am so happy that I thought to ask to buy it. My White Wine Sangria adds such fun and flavor to soft shell taco night! 

I grew up with a set of Corelle dishes like these and my brother surprised me with a used set for Christmas- tonight I found out that they are perfect for a Taco Thursday spread! 

Since the trip, one of the crew started an amazing non-profit organization, Airline Ambassadors!

White Wine Sangria

1 bottle pinot grigio

2 cups ginger ale

1 shot brandy or cognac

1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice.

2 apples, small diced

2 oranges, small diced 

Pickled Red Onions

1/2 large red onion

2 cups red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar or honey

1 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt 

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Thinly slice red onion and cover with red wine vinegar and other ingredients, covered for 3 to 4 hours.