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Happy 50th birthday to Gallo Family Vineyards Hearty Burgundy, the red-blend wine that ushered Americans into their love of wine in the 1960s and 1970s.
Around our family, a 50th birthday is celebrated with a very special gift. So Gallo, I got this for you! (It also comes with a pair of cheapie reading glasses and box of prunes, because that’s how we roll.)
By the time you reach age 50, you have some miles under your belt. You’re seasoned, wiser and you know what you like.
In the case of Hearty Burgundy, that wisdom includes the winemaker understanding that a blend of Zinfandel, Tempranillo, Syrah, Petite Verdot, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon will make for a complex, full-flavored wine that is rich, hinting of plums and berries, almost jammy yet not sweet, and perfectly suited to pair with Italian meat sauce (last night’s dinner, in fact!), even grilled sausage or spicy chili.
I remember drinking it as one of the first wines I tried while in college. It was approachable, wallet-friendly, from my own California wine country, and most of all, delicious. It was as comfortable as a vivacious party wine as it was with dinner.
It goes with burgers, with steak, with my beloved roasted chicken thighs, is a perfect counterpoint to a rich potato side dish, and even complements the chocolate cake for dessert.
In other words, Hearty Burgundy can stand up to lots of things, including some fruity and flavorful additions that, when thrown together, take it to a new plane – sangria!
Cheers to you, Hearty Burgundy. And here’s to the next 50 years!
Recipe: Fruity Burgundy Sangria
Summary: A refreshing wine punch starts with classic Gallo Hearty Burgundy and includes seasonal fruit — perfect with anything casual that begs to be eaten in the back yard.
Ingredients
- 1 bottle (1.5L) Gallo Family Vineyards Hearty Burgundy red wine
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup vanilla-flavored syrup (I used Heilala Vanilla Syrup)
- 1/2 cup brandy (optional)
- 1 orange, thinly sliced in half moons, or use tangerine segments
- 1/2 lime, thinly sliced in half moons
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher and stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving (better if you do it for several hours!), to meld flavors.
- To serve, pour into ice cube-filled red wine glasses, making sure to put slices of orange and lime, and other seasonal fruit, in each glass.
- Makes 10 servings.
Variations
- You may also put in whatever other seasonal fruit you have around, such as fresh berries, peach slices, a fresh mango spear or fresh cut pineapple chunks. Today I used strawberries and blackberries. Let the seasons guide you.
- To make it even lighter, mix with some sparkling water in each glass at serving time
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Diet type: Vegetarian
Number of servings (yield): 10
Culinary tradition: Spanish
My rating
Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Gallo Family Vineyards via Sunday Supper, LLC. The opinions expressed here are those of the author, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Gallo Family Vineyards.
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