Dulcinea^® PureHeart^® Melon-Infused Sangria

Yields 8 cups

• 4 cups White wine, sweeter variety such as a Riesling
• ¾ cups Brandy
• ½ cup Cointreau
• ½ cup Lemon juice, fresh squeezed
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 medium oranges, thinly sliced, seeded
• 1 large lemon, thinly sliced, seeded
• ½ melon (about 3 cups) Dulcinea^® PureHeart^® Mini Seedless Watermelon
• ⅓ melon (about 1 ½ cups) Dulcinea^® Extra Sweet Tuscan-Style^® Extra Sweet Cantaloupe
• Orange and lemon slices for rim of glasses Garnish
• Dulcinea^® melon, diced, garnish for the glasses Garnish

Mix the wine, brandy, Cointreau, and lemon juice in a large pitcher with the sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the oranges and lemons, stirring to release the juices. Cut the watermelon in half. Remove the peel and dice one half of the melon into very small chunks, ¼”x ¼”x ¼”. Pour 1 ½ cups of watermelon chunks and the juice into the pitcher. Place remaining watermelon in large bowl of a food processor and purée until smooth. Add to pitcher. Repeat the same procedures with the Dulcinea® Tuscan-Style® Extra Sweet Cantaloupe dicing it, adding ¾ cup of the chunks to the pitcher. Purée remaining ¾ cup of cantaloupe in same bowl of the food processor until smooth and add to pitcher. Add 6 to 8 cups of ice and stir until very cold. Pour into chilled wine or margarita glasses, straining off a large portion of the ice and garnish with fruit slices. Float small cubes of watermelon in glass. Serve immediately.

Tips and Suggestions:

For a fun, refreshing cocktail, use a melon baller to form uniform sized balls of cantaloupe and watermelon. Fill ice trays with one melon ball per cube, and cover with water. Freeze. Drop the “melon” ice cubes into large, clear wine glasses and pour the well chilled Sangria over the cubes. Substitute a lighter, rose wine for the white.