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Red Wine Granita Slushies

Written by Christine Miksis

We’re smack dab in the middle of summer. It’s sweltering hot. The back of your thighs are stuck to the leather sofa again (It doesn’t get sexier than that, no?)

You just got home from a long day of work and want to take the edge off and keep cool at the same time.

I propose a very refreshing, relaxing Italian solution to all of your problems: red wine granita slushies.

red wine granita slushies
Photo: Casey Barber

As luscious as creamy sorbet is, I like its icier, slushier cousin granita just the same. In fact, I might like her a little bit better and I’ll tell you why.

For starters, to make granita slushies at home, there is no need for any fancy-schmancy kitchen equipment whatsoever.

Best of all, it only involves about five minutes of manual labor, and that is simply to make the simple syrup.

red wine granita slushies
Photo: Casey Barber

If you’re confused about the difference between sorbet and granita, here’s the deal.

Both are the same in terms of ingredients like water, sugar, blended fruits or fruit juice (in this case, red wine). The difference between the two is the texture, as a result of different freezing techniques.

Continuously churning the ingredients in an ice cream maker as the mixture freezes makes a creamy sorbet, while slightly agitating the mixture with a fork every few hours or completely leaving it alone all together makes a coarser and flakier granita.

red wine granita slushies
Photo: Casey Barber

To make the granita more grown-up, the weapon of choice here is red wine. The following recipe tastes like just that–red wine–so don’t expect it to be too sweet.

My personal preference is to err on the wine side, and for this reason I kept the sugar to a minimum. According to your tastes, feel free to add more or less simple syrup. We use a one-to-one ratio for the syrup.

red wine granita slushies
Photo: Casey Barber

Also note that the red wine will still carry its full alcoholic punch after freezing, and continued consumption of red wine granita slushies may cause you to forget to pack sunscreen for your trip to Biarritz, so you end up with a sunburn as rouge as the icy wine.

Le sigh. But that’s the price you pay.

red wine granita slushies
red wine granita slushies

Red Wine Granita Slushies

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Additional Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 1/4 cups red wine
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate juice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
  • mint sprigs and/or lemon twists for garnish

Instructions

  1. Make simple syrup: pour the sugar and water into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently until the sugar has dissolved.
  2. Remove from heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes while you open the wine and juice the lemon.
  3. Stir the wine, pomegranate juice, lemon juice, and simple syrup together in a small pitcher.
  4. Pour into a 9-inch metal or glass baking pan.
  5. Freeze for 4-6 hours or until completely frozen. For a slushie-like texture, scrape the mixture gently with a fork every two hours while freezing. For a flakier consistency, leave it be.
  6. Scoop into a glass and top with a mint sprig and/or a lemon twist.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 82Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 6mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 0g

The nutritional information above is computer-generated and only an estimate.

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6 Comments

  1. How timely. I made a delicious granita a couple of weeks ago and have been dipping into it nightly. I am so not into the flavors of anything alcohol-related except that which is used in cooking, but my rum and wine infused granita with rum and wine may have changed all that. Being an ice-lover, this is my new way of “why don’t you have a glass of wine to relax you after a long day on your feet” solution.

    The great thing is that it holds up in the freezer and yes, it’s perfect for these sticky, hot days.

    Yum!

  2. this was EXCELLENT, thank you! i think i may try the next batch with a smidge of triple sec for a bit of a boozier kick. waiting for the margarita version…

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