Somewhere along the way I got this reputation with my close friends that I'm a wine snob. One of our friends (hey Hayli) usually brings wine when she comes over and like half-apologizes for her choice, and that makes me silently wonder what kind of monster I've become. Admittedly, sure, I like learning about all the world's different wine-growing regions, and yeah, yes, okay, I'm kind of a snob, but I feel like I still enjoy keeping in touch with my sad, broke, college-aged drinking beginnings. So in an effort to ~~get shit hammered~~ reconnect with my less stuffy roots, I bought a $4 bottle of Chardonnay and made some bomb sangria.

If you've never heard of satsumas, girl you are missing out. They're these cute and delicious orange-like citrus fruits that you can peel very easily by hand. They're actually native to Japan, but by now they're very much a part of the Louisiana agricultural scene. Lol at "agricultural scene." When I was a kid, my grandma lived near a huge satsuma farm that would take money from you and then let you pick the satsumas to take home. It was a pay-per-pound kind of situation and I got in trouble for eating the satsumas along the way. The farmer like followed a trail of peels until he got to our group and found me stuffing them in my face. Let's get real, though, can you believe they made you pay for a tour, pick the satsumas YOURSELF, and then pay for the ones you picked at the end of it? I think I deserved a little snack. Or a glass of sangria. Whichever. You can find the recipe below!

Satsuma Sangria

Makes 6 - 8 servings

3 satsumas, peeled, plus more for garnish
1 lime, cut into chunks
1/4 cup sliced ginger
6 - 8 basil leaves, plus more for garnish
1 bottle oaky Chardonnay
12 oz ginger ale or ginger beer

In a large pitcher, muddle together the satsuma, lime, ginger, and basil. Add the wine and ginger beer and stir. Add ice or refrigerate for half an hour to overnight, serve over crushed ice and garnish with sliced satsuma and basil.