Passion Fruit Sangria Recipe

1. Gather the ingredients.
   

2. Pour wine into a pitcher.

3. Squeeze citrus juice from wedges into wine. Toss in fruit wedges, removing seeds if possible.

4. Add passion fruit juice, pineapple juice, and brandy.

5. Stir well and chill overnight.

6. Add ginger ale, sliced kiwi, and ice just before serving.

If you'd like to serve the Sangria right away, use chilled white wine and serve over lots of ice.

Wine Recommendations for Passion Fruit Sangria

A "sweet white wine" is highly recommended for this sangria recipe and you have a number of options to choose from. Among those, you will find that any of these varietals are an ideal starting point.

• A Muscat (or Moscato), complete with its fruity taste.

• A sweeter Riesling that is more like a dessert wine.

• A gewürztraminer with its fabulous lychee-like profile.

Passion Fruit Juice: Buy or DIY

Passion fruit is, obviously, the star of this recipe and it's important that you treat it with the attention it deserves. You can either buy passion fruit juice or make your own from the fresh fruits.

Make Fresh Passion Fruit Juice. The passion fruit is not one of the juiciest fruits around and it will take a lot of passion fruits to yield the 2 cups needed for this Sangria if you use straight juice. However, you can maximize the yield and enjoy fresh passion fruit with the help of your blender and a little water.

Purple passion fruit is preferred for fresh consumption though golden passion fruit will be great as well. The fruit tastes similar to a guava and has juicy seeds like a pomegranate, which is the desired part of the fruit. Choose passion fruit that is soft and semi-squishy, but not yet brown (a sign of being over ripe).

1. Scoop the seedy pulp (avoid the white flesh) out of 5 to 6 very ripe passion fruits and place them in the blender.

2. Add about twice the volume of cold, distilled water and 1 tablespoon of sugar.*

3. Blend well.

4. Strain the pulp and seeds from the juice using a fine-mesh strainer or sieve over a large bowl. Press the pulp to release more of the juice and strain again if needed.

5. Add twice the volume of cold water, stir, and taste. 

6. Add more water and sugar in small amounts until the juice is to your liking.

7. Once done, bottle it in a container with a tight seal and store in the refrigerator.

This method will yield more than enough juice for the sangria and leave you with extra to mix into other drinks. It's great in the morning when mixed with orange juice.

*You can use an alternative sweetener for the juice but will need to adjust it to your taste. Agave nectar or honey would both be excellent options. It's best to avoid artificial sweeteners as many are too bitter for the sweet-sour fruit.

Buy passion fruit juice. Straight passion fruit juice is admittedly difficult to find in the average grocery store because it's not as popular as pineapple, orange, or any of the other common juices. Many times, you can find passion fruit in a blended juice with other tropical fruits. This can be used as a substitute, though it's not quite the same.

When seeking straight passion fruit juice, you might have luck by searching the natural food aisles and markets that specialize in international foods. It is not inexpensive but is worth searching out and paying a little more for.