Tinto de Verano

This Tinto de Verano is the perfect summer red wine cocktail! It's a Spanish drink that combines your favorite Spanish red wine with lemon-lime soda. I say it tastes almost like a red wine sangria but with fewer ingredients.

You'll love this Tinto de Verano

It's easy to make. This is such a simple drink that is just equal parts Spanish red wine and lemon lime soda, or any fruity soft drink. It's perfect for all your warm weather happy hours. 

It's the perfect summer red wine drink. If you're like me, you drink red wine in the fall and winter, and white wine in the summer and spring. However, this Tinto de Verano is such a perfect red wine cocktail for summer! It's crisp, bubbly, refreshing, slightly fruity, and you will love sipping this on your patio. 

Ingredients

Spanish Red Wine. Since this is a Spanish cocktail, I recommend using a Spanish red wine! I'm breaking down recommendations of Spanish red wines based off of your wine preferences below!

Lemon-Lime Soda. Traditional Tinto de Verano drink calls for gaseosa, which is a Spanish soda. In the US, the closest things we have to gaseosa are lemon lime pops, like Sprite, or lemon Fanta. For this recipe, I use Sprite Zero, but there are some other variations that call for a mixture of soda and soda water, so the drink isn't too sweet.  I'll share some more variations below! 

How to make a Tinto de Verano

1. In a glass filled with ice cubes, fill it with 3 oz. of your favorite Spanish red wine.
2. Top with 3 oz. of lemon-lime soda.

Spanish red wine recommendations

If you're new to the world of Spanish red wines, here are some recommendations for you based off other red wines you may like! 

Pinot Noir

I like using a Pinot Noir-style wine when making this Tinto de Verano recipe because Pinot Noir is naturally lighter and a bit fruitier, I feel like it's the red wine of summer. So, I feel like it makes the perfect summer drink. 

• Grenache
• Mencía

Cabernet Sauvignon

Since this drink is a mix of red wine and lemon lime soda, you may be inclined to use a dryer red wine, like a Cabernet Sauvignon. Here are some Spanish wine varietals that could be comparable to that. 

• Tempranillo

Substitutions and variations

Lemon Lime Pop. There are a few variations that you can use for the soda part of this drink. Here are a few! I always recommend starting with the smaller measurements, and then you can add more of each ingredient to suite your taste buds. 

• ½ - 1 oz Simple Syrup + ½ oz Lemon Juice + ½ oz Lime Juice + 1 - 2 oz Soda Water or Club Soda
• 2.5 oz lemon San Pelligrino, Fanta limón, or any other sparkling lemon soda + ½ oz fresh lime juice

Garnish ideas

I love garnishing this drink with fresh citrus fruit. I love the color contrast of lemon slices, orange slices, or lime slices. I opted to garnish my drink with a slice of lemon and lime. You can also use seasonal fruit like strawberries or raspberries!

What to serve with Tinto de Verano

You can never go wrong making a simple charcuterie board to go with your Tinto de Verano! It's the perfect happy hour combination. This whipped ricotta dip is also so delicious and so easy to make. 

FAQs

What's the difference between sangria and tinto de verano?

Sangria involves fresh fruit, wine, and some sort of spirit, like brandy. Tinto de Verano is simply just equal parts table wine and citrus soda.

What is Tinto de Verano in English?

It means red wine of summer!

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Want more summer wine cocktails?

• Lambrusco Spritz
• Amalfi Spritz
• Lillet Spritz