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I love sangria, but I avoid sugars. According to the NCC database, there's 300x as much sugar in sangria as in merlot.

I had this idea to try to make "sangria" with red wine + sugar-free Cool Aid + pure stevia, all blended together. It came out positively disgusting (and I like stevia)

How can I improve this combination so I get something drinkable?

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    Just to be clear, as different people define sugar-free in different ways: it sounds like you just want to avoid the sugar in the fruit juice, is that right? There isn't too much in wine but a good sangria often has pieces of fruit floating in it.
    – Chris H
    Commented Nov 11, 2019 at 6:41
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    I am voting to close because this feels like a recipe request. Sweeteners in traditional sangria are optional. It often does not contain any additional sugar. Maybe your question is "how do I sweeten without using sugars?" In that case you will want to (a) define sugars (all sugars...just sucrose?), and (b) search the site first.
    – moscafj
    Commented Nov 11, 2019 at 11:36
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    I'm voting to close because to be answerable, you should describe the recipe which you want to adapt to reduce the sugars ("sangria" is a broad category). (Also, what is NCCDB? A link may be helpful to ensure everybody understands what you're talking about.)
    – Erica
    Commented Nov 12, 2019 at 2:39
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    @MaxB We don't deal with health claims on this site. However, beyond that, it still seems to me that you are requesting a recipe. If you want sugar-free sangria, just find a recipe that avoids sugar. If you need a sweetener, use an artificial one. Beyond that, your question will just result in suggested combinations of ingredients...a recipe. So, in my view it is still off topic.
    – moscafj
    Commented Nov 12, 2019 at 2:40
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    MaxB you still didn’t give a source for your claim re the sugar content (I googled, btw) and the number sounds too high, just off the cuff, especially when we’re talking about sangria in the classic sense, not something pre-mixed from a store. And I am pretty sure @moscafj meant something like “search for ways to sweeten without sugar” in general, not just for the two tags <tag:wine> and <tag:sugar-free>. In general, I recommend you watch your tone. There are lots of legitimate reasons to eat sugar, btw., and we should respect everyone’s choices.
    – Stephie ♦
    Commented Nov 12, 2019 at 6:37

3 Answers 3

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Sangria doesn't have "fizzy pop" of any description in it.

It has brandy.
That was where it went wrong, long before the sweetener stage.

Sugar of any description is optional, though personally I'd rather stick my head in a fire than put artificial sweeteners in it, I'd just rather it without anything.

Rioja - Tempranillo, Garnacha etc
Brandy
Fruit

You can adjust the sweetness by modifying the fruit mixture if you don't want to add sucrose; though the difference between fructose & sucrose is almost indiscernible 'health'-wise.

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    Most recipes include orange juice though, and (sugar-free) cool aid doesn't have to be fizzy. But that would be like making sangria with the worst orange squash, and I agree that sounds disgusting.
    – Chris H
    Commented Nov 11, 2019 at 20:24
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Many people have already suggested making your Sangria the more traditional way by just adding pieces of fruit rather than concentrated fruit juices— depending on why you are attempting to eliminate the sugars (e.g. for health reasons) this might be the best approach. Another option might be to zest some fruits or use a potato peeler to take long strips of peel with no pith and marinate those in the wine— this would give you the fruit flavour without the added sweetness. If you’re partial to including tonic you could use seltzer water instead. I’d also suggest using stevia to sweeten as needed, but take a sample, test that and then sweeten the sample as needed— attempting to get the whole pitcher right feel like it’d be a bit of a gamble.

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IF avoiding sugars. I would avoid Wine altogether as it contains sugar naturally. Otherwise, you would probably be better off just creating real Sangria.

One option, if you absolutely need an "non-sugar" option, would be to mix the wine with a fruity juice that is sugar-free. Also, not all wines are going to mix well, I would try to get a basic table red wine. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignons would both probably be much too strong for what you want to create.

Cheers.

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  • This seems wrong: According to NCCDB, there's 300x as much sugar in sangria compared to merlot.
    – user18825
    Commented Nov 12, 2019 at 1:24
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    @MaxB I strongly recommend phrasing your comments less harshly.
    – Stephie ♦
    Commented Nov 12, 2019 at 6:22
  • @MaxB The CoC doesn't stop applying if someone's wrong; we must always be respectful.
    – Cascabel ♦
    Commented Nov 13, 2019 at 2:35
  • That is interesting. Max B can you please provide your source. Like a link?
    – DataDiplomat
    Commented Nov 14, 2019 at 0:06