Serves 9
375 min
Cherry-Merlot Winesicles with Orchard Sangria
Recipe GLPRee368a67c962f6
A sophisticated two-part summer refresher featuring homemade wine-based frozen pops and a vibrant sangria-style punch. Blend fresh cherries with merlot and simple syrup for elegant winesicles, then mix seasonal stone fruits with brandy, wine, and ginger beer for a complex fruity sangria. Perfect for entertaining or cooling down on warm days.
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Ingredients
1 cup Merlot wine (divided: ¾ cup for winesicles, ¼ cup for sangria)
1 ½ cups fresh cherries, pitted
6 oz simple syrup (divided: 4 oz for winesicles, 2 oz for sangria)
1 ripe peach, pitted and thinly sliced
1 ripe plum, pitted and thinly sliced
2 oz brandy
½ cup ginger beer
Ice as needed for serving
Directions
To prepare the simple syrup if making from scratch, combine ½ cup granulated sugar with ½ cup water in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves completely. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before using. Store any extra syrup in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
For the winesicles: Pour ¾ cup Merlot, 1 ½ cups fresh pitted cherries, and 4 oz simple syrup into a blender. Blend on high speed for about 30 seconds until the mixture is completely smooth with no visible cherry chunks.
Divide the cherry-merlot mixture evenly among 9 popsicle molds. Carefully insert popsicle sticks into the center of each mold.
Place the filled molds in the freezer and freeze for at least 6 hours, or until completely solid.
To unmold the winesicles, run warm water over the outside of each mold for a few seconds to loosen, then gently push the popsicles out. Serve immediately.
For the sangria: Place the thinly sliced peach and plum in a large pitcher or spouted measuring cup. Add ¼ cup Merlot, 2 oz brandy, and 2 oz simple syrup.
Stir the sangria mixture well, then let it stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. For deeper fruit flavor, allow it to sit for up to 12 hours.
When ready to serve, fill two glasses with ice cubes. Divide the sangria fruit mixture and liquid between the two glasses, then top each glass with ¼ cup ginger beer. Stir gently and serve immediately.
