Trader Joe’s – Winter Sangria

My most memorable experience drinking sangria was when, due to excess, I punched a glass pane of the French doors, cut my hand, and bled! This was a-while ago. My first Trader Joe’s water, maybe? The can is nothing special—but it does remind me of something—some kind of adult entity—like medicine or motor oil—I’m probably way off. I’ll come back to that. Maybe. My first thought, upon tasting, is that this is just glorified cherry—and you know what I think about the flavor, “cherry!” But haven’t I come around to cherry, lately? That’s beside the point. The point is, this should taste like sangria—or specifically—“Winter” sangria—which is? It’s a variation on sangria, and like sangria, there are as many different recipes and variations as there are swinging dicks in bartender school. And some, no doubt, include cherries. It’s a fruity mixture, no matter how you look at it, but still, it’s a red wine base—so I want this to taste more like red wine than fruit—but maybe that’s not realistic. And sure, the more of this I drink—because the flavor is pretty subtle—the more I like it—especially if I keep thinking: “Winter Sangria!” Because—as is the case with all this sparkling water—the imagination is always at play and has an enormous amount to do with its eventual success.

No. 128 – 10.19.25