Winter is my least favorite season. Even in Los Angeles the weather gets too chilly (at least in the evening) for cute little dresses and open toe wedges. Most of our favorite shows are on hiatus and gin and tonics are just no longer an acceptable “day drink”. But there’s the good side of winter; some entertaining reality TV, some new scripted shows, the days eventually get a little longer and back to big red wine and manhattans by the fire with your loved one at night.

I’m sure your favorite part of winter, or any new season for that matter is my sangria recipe. This winter I decided on pomegranate and spiced blood orange sangria. I used orange spice from Root Bitters in lieu of just a cinnamon stick or nutmeg to spice it up for winter. Full disclosure: I had to use Cara Cara oranges because in California, the blood orange from farmer’s markets to Whole Foods, were very dry. Some farmer’s at my local farmers market have even refused to sell them because of the poor quality this season. You know I’ve always said, a sangria is both made and broken by bad fruit and/or fruit that is not in season. Because of that, I chose the closest to blood oranges that had sweet and juicy flesh, Cara Cara.

Pomegranate and spiced blood orange sangria Recipe

* 3 medium blood (or Cara Cara) oranges
* seeds from 2 pomegranates (it’s easier to buy the arils already loose in lieu of pounding them out yourself)
* 1 cup Thatcher’s blood orange liqueur
* ¼ cup Tres Agave agave nectar
* 1 bottle of Zinfandel (or other jammy fruit forward red wine)
* 25 dashes of Root Bitters orange spice

Peel and cut blood oranges in quarters. Muddle the oranges and arils (pomegranate seeds) in a large pitcher. Add all the other liquids, except the bitters. Let everything set for about an hour for the flavors to integrate. Add bitters, stir and taste for sweetness. You can add a little more agave nectar if needed. This winter sangria can be sipped and enjoyed chilled or warmed. Your sangria will last in the refrigerator up to a week. Mix up my pomegranate spiced blood orange sangria and #SipWatchTweet your favorite shows along with me on Twitter.