A Bloody Good Punch

• Sangria, derived from the Spanish word "sangre," which means blood, is a communal adult beverage served either in a pitcher or punchbowl. In addition to a full bottle of wine -- usually a red varietal -- sangrias also contain brandy, fruit pieces like apples, oranges and limes, something sweet like orange juice or sugar, and sometimes a carbonated beverage like club or lemon-lime soda. Sangrias have become so widespread that they are even packaged and sold as compete alcoholic beverages -- though usually without the actual pieces of fruit.

Malbec Miscellanea

• Malbec grapes were first grown in France's Bordeaux region as part of the Bordeaux wine process in which the grapes are blended with others. The grapes have since been cultivated in other parts of the world like Argentina, the western United States, Chile and New Zealand, where they are harvested and fermented for malbec wines. Argentina's Mendoza region, known for its high altitude, produces some of the most notable malbecs. Though malbec wines vary by the regions in which they are produced, most malbecs are floral and have notes of juicy fruits.

Make It With Malbec

• Malbec wine's fruitiness and midrange price point make it a fine choice for a more upscale sangria. For a quick and simple punch, pour the bottle of malbec into a punchbowl or pitcher, then cut a lemon and orange into wedges. Mash the wedges gently in a bowl with some sugar, then pour a brandy shot over the fruit. Let the fruit and brandy sit covered for about 15 to 20 minutes, then add them to the wine. Refrigerate the wine for about 5 or 6 hours, then top with a little club soda before serving.

Vino Variations

• If you desire a less costly sangria, substitute the malbec with lower or more moderately priced wines, like a blended red table wine or a domestic wine like a Californian or Oregonian cabernet or merlot. Select a wine with a lot of fruit or sweetness to complement the other ingredients. The chosen wine does not always have to be red -- pour white wines like sauvignon blancs or chardonnays for sangria blancas or mix in a mulled wine for a more seasonal sangria.