Stone Fruit and Strawberry Sangria

A few weeks ago I headed up north to Washington State with a few fabulous ladies from Whole Foods to check out some cherry farms. This was basically my dream come true, because if you spend enough time with me, you know that I tend to eat around 1-2 pounds of cherries a day when they are in season.

I mean, how can you not? They are basically the best fruit on the earth. I like them crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside. I mean I could just dive into this bucket of cherries and call it a day.

I’m also partial to Rainier cherries. They are just the best in my opinion. And trust me, I taste tested every single kind of cherry that was available that weekend over at Rainier Fruit Company.

Also, can we just talk about how I got to ride in a helicopter. Omg. Maybe one of the most exciting parts of the trip, minus of course eating my body weight in cherries and meeting all the wonderful people at both Whole Foods and The Rainier Fruit Company.

After coming home from this fantastic trip, where we got to eat cherries that were literally picked just for us, I went to town creating a new sangria recipe. Cherries are, unfortunately, on their way out of season, so I thought what better way to celebrate them than by making a cocktail and cheersing (is that a reak word?) to more cherries next year.

So the Stone Fruit and Strawberry Sangria was born. And it’s made quite a few appearances on the dinner table this past week. It literally cannot be easier. It just requires a few minutes to pit the cherries and then another second or two to combine the sugar and the brandy. And then it’s ready to drink!! Well…. almost ready to drink! It’s got to sit in the fridge for a few hours so the fruit can really infuse the wine and make it picture perfect.

So here’s to cherry season! Run on over to Whole Foods (because their cherries are bigger and juicier than everywhere else) and grab a few bags. Use some for this sangria, obviously, and then just eat the rest right out of the bag. They will literally rock your world.

Also. Full disclaimer. This is basically the best sangria I’ve ever created. Hands down. Best stuff on earth. So while I’m sure you could probably drink the whole thing yourself, it’s best served for at least 2 people. Probably three

Disclosure: Whole Foods paid for my travel expenses while on this trip – although as you all know, my opinions are totally my own and I was not required to write about the experience. Love ya!

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