Ombre Sweet Wine Slush

Do you love wine?  Do you love slushies?  Why not combine the two!  Three types of sweet wines are blended with simple syrup and layered together in a fun ombre pattern that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or any day really!   With the sweetness being totally customize-able, they’re ultra refreshing.

Perfect for any occasion, and SO easy to make!  We love easy drink recipes like my Raspberry Peach Lemonade and Boozy Baileys Milkshakes.  This is one of my Drinks you’ll definitely want in your recipe box!

OMBRE WINE SLUSH

Okay I’m not sure how it’s possible that the year is going by as quickly as it is.  I blinked and January is nearly over!

Which means, it’s time to get ready for Valentine’s Day, with allllll the pink and red things… like these gorgeous ombre wine slushies.

The creamy sweetness of wine mixed with simple syrup, layered in such a beautiful way, it just makes me happy!

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

Making these wine slushies are simply amazing, and honestly SO easy!!  It does take a little prep work though.

1. A day ahead of time (or more), pour the wine into ice cube trays and freeze until solid.
2. Add white wine cubes to blender with a bit of simple syrup (if using) and blend until wine is a slushy consistency.
3. Add white wine slush to a shallow bowl.
4. Repeat blending and transferring to a bowl with the pink, then red wine.
5. To serve, layer red wine slush in the bottom of a glass, then pink, then white.

PREPARATION TIPS FOR WINE SLUSH

• THE WINE – Use sweet wines.  I used a sweet red, pink moscato, and riesling (regular moscato works amazingly as well).
• THE TRAYS – You’ll need 6 ice cube trays for this recipe.  Cheap trays from the dollar store will work perfectly fine 🙂
• THE BLENDER – No need for multiple blenders.  Just start with the lightest wine cubes, and work your way down to the darkest.  Put the blended wine into separate bowls and spoon the wine into your serving glasses.  Also no need to break the bank, but you want a blender that can pulverize ice.
• THE GUM – This recipe uses an ingredient that you may not have heard of… xanthan gum.  It’s in a lot of bottled salad dressings and helps it keep from separating.  In fact, that’s kind of how it works in this recipe.  Bottom line, don’t be afraid of it… but if you’d prefer not to use it, there’s a gum-less version detailed below.

CAN YOU FREEZE WINE

Yes!  Granted, it doesn’t freeze as hard as water, since it freezes at a lower temperature due to the alcohol, but it will still freeze into solid cubes.

HOW DOES XANTHAN GUM WORK IN A SLUSHY

If you’ve ever made a homemade slushy, you probably noticed that as it warms up, it separates.  The slush stays on top, and a thin liquid stays on the bottom.

To a certain point, that’s inevitable, but xanthan gum helps keep things together, by promoting a gel-like substance to form.

That may sound gross, but the result is a mouth feel that’s smooth and viscous instead of brittle and coarse.

VARIATIONS OF THIS RECIPE

• SWEETER – as written, this wine slush is mildly sweet.  If you prefer a sweeter drink, add as much simple syrup as you want.
• DIFFERENT WINES – I chose these wines as they’re all sweet, but if you prefer the flavor of other wines better, feel free to switch it up!
• DIFFERENT COLORS – these colors are great for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, a girls night, etc, but if you want to serve an ombre wine slushy for other holidays, you totally can!  I would use all sweet white wines, and pour each bottle into individual pitchers.  Use food coloring to add colors and tints to each pitcher of wine, then freeze, blend and layer as directed.
• THINNER DRINK – this is a pretty thick slush, but if you prefer a thinner drink, you can add some white grape juice to each blend to thin it out to your desired texture.
• GUM-LESS – if you’d rather not use xanthan gum, feel free to omit it.

MAKING WINE SLUSH AHEAD OF TIME

I love making wine slushies, since they can be prepped ahead of time so well!

Freeze wine into cubes, then blend with simple syrup.  Pour into an airtight container and freeze.

Repeat with remaining wines.  To serve, let containers sit on the counter for a few minutes to slightly soften up, then scoop out what you need and layer.

STORAGE

Pre-made wine slush can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

The garnishes are totally optional here… I just loved the way the raspberry looks a little like a heart!

Due to the colors, these are obviously perfect for Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day, but they are so good, you’ll want to have these year round!

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT FOR THIS RECIPE

• Blender – No need to break the bank here, but you also want a powerful blender.  This Ninja blender has been a true workhorse for me over the years and breaks up ice like a charm!
• Xanthan Gum – for an ultra smooth, almost creamy slushy, try using xanthan gum!
• Simple Syrup – my grocery store carries a bottle of simple syrup, but in case yours doesn’t this is a good alternative!

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN TO CHECK OUT OTHER READERS’ COMMENTS FOR TIPS AND REVIEWS.

AND DON’T FORGET, IF YOU’VE MADE THIS RECIPE, LEAVE A COMMENT AND PLEASE GIVE IT A STAR RATING LETTING ME KNOW HOW YOU ENJOYED IT!