Sweet Sangria (Sparkling Cherry Sangria)

Having recently opined on the sublime delight of tapas, I feel I'm now required to share a couple more recipes to help round one's dinner out. To start, the ideal accompaniment to tapas: sangria. Named for the sanguinary shade typically imparted by red wine, this traditional fruit punch is a classic libation of the Iberian summer. By combining a variety of sweet and tart notes, it serves as a pleasing counterpart to the generally savory and salty array of tapas.

Sweet

Snow Cherries (Sparkling Cherry Granita)

At last, cherry season is here and they're ripe for the taking. It had become a weekly ritual to enter Wegman's, look for the cherries, and be disappointed, but now brilliant Bing, golden Rainier, and tart Morello cherries are all to be found. So far, I've made clafoutis, a giant French pancake studded with fruit, and sparkling sangria with Spanish cava wine, but I think it was the sparkling cherry granita that made for the most interesting presentation. A boozy, effervescent slushie for adults, this elegant dessert helps you cool down with tiny fireworks of cherry flavor.

Fireworks!