Tropical Citrus Sangria

Generally, I'm a red wine kinda girl. White wine just doesn't seem like wine to me...I feel like I'm drinking juice. I realize wine is juice, but white just doesn't have the bitterness and substance of red. Despite my red wine preference, white has begun to grow on me thanks to the awesome summer we are having. Cold red wine just doesn't work, so white it is!

Before making this I researched some white wine sangria recipes, and was a little surprised how sweet they all sounded! Additional sugar, juice, and soda? Yikes. Instead of adding all that sugar, I opted for a sweeter wine (riesling) and depended on the juice from the fruit to give it flavor. It was plenty sweet, totally refreshing and I wasn't missing my red wine at all.

Tropical Citrus Sangria
1.5 liters white wine (I used Barefoot Riesling)
1 cup coconut water
1 cup white rum (optional)
1/2 fresh pineapple, cubed
1 fresh mango, cubed
1 lime, sliced
1/2 lemon, sliced
fresh mint leaves (about 7-10 leaves)

1. In a large pitcher, add pineapple, mango, lime and lemon. Using a large spoon, crush fruit slightly to release juice.
2. In a small cup, muddle mint leaves slightly and add to pitcher. Add wine and rum, if desired.
3. Place pitcher in the fridge for several hours to allow mixture to chill completely. Enjoy!