Tipsy Tuesday - Sparkling Apple Sangria

(pic / recipe credit: http://spoonforkbacon.com/2012/08/sparkling-apple-sangria/)

What is better in the hot, hot summer than some lovely chilled sangria? If there even is something, I don't know what it is. For today's Tipsy Tuesday, I found you this apply, snappy version of the drink!

Sparkling Apple Sangria 

Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
1 (750ml) bottle of Riesling (can sub Pinot Grigio)
1 red delicious apple, julienne
1 granny smith apple, julienne
1/2 (750ml) bottle of brut champagne or sparkling wine, chilled 

1. Pour Riesling into a large pitcher and stir in apples. Place in the refrigerator and allow to sit for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours. 

2. Add champagne/sparkling wine, stir and serve. 

**If your apples brown or get limp while infusing into the wine, strain the apples out and replace them with fresh ones before adding the champagne and serving. The fresh apples WILL float to the top for a bit, but the sangria will stay just as delicious.

Note:
I've had just about all the combos of sangria available, and I haven't found one that's bad yet. Here's the tips I have learned over the years:

• You'll want a sweet or sharp wine, not a heavy or oaky one.
• If you use a really cheap wine, try adding coordinating fruit juice to sweeten and smooth it out.
• Match the fruit to the wine--red = classic oranges and other citrus; pink = strawberry, melon, other berry; white = apple, white grape, pear; etc
• If there's any left over, you can blenderize the whole thing, fruit and all if there's no citrus peels, and freeze it for a nice boozy slushy some other time.