Wash all fruit. Thinly slice the orange and lemon crosswise into rounds. Core the apple and dice into small 1 cm cubes. If using fresh blackberries, rinse and drain; if using frozen, keep frozen until assembly.

Combine wine and liqueur

In a large pitcher (at least 2 L capacity), pour 1 liter dry red wine and 120 ml crème de cassis. Stir gently to combine so the cassis evenly colors the wine.

Add the prepared fruit: orange slices, lemon slices, diced apple and the blackberries to the wine mixture. Stir once to submerge fruit; let macerate in the refrigerator 1–3 hours (minimum 30 minutes) so flavors meld. For more intense cassis flavor, macerate up to 6 hours.

Sweetener & Sparkle

Adjust sweetness

After maceration taste the sangria. Add 60 ml simple syrup (or agave) gradually, stirring and tasting until you reach desired sweetness. Remember crème de cassis is sweet, so start conservatively if you prefer less sweet.

Add carbonation

Just before serving, add 500 ml chilled sparkling water or club soda to the pitcher to preserve effervescence. Stir gently once to incorporate without flattening the bubbles.

Fill individual glasses with ice (about 1 cup per glass). Spoon fruit into glasses, then ladle sangria over ice so each serving gets fruit and liquid.

Garnish & Serve

Garnish each glass with a sprig of fresh mint and an orange peel twist if desired. Serve immediately so the sangria remains lively and bubbly.

Leftovers: keep refrigerated without sparkling water for up to 48 hours; add fresh chilled sparkling water just before serving to restore effervescence.