Easy Wine Slushie Recipe

Wine slushies have been officially making the rounds at summertime festivals, fairs, whimsical wine tastings, and backyard barbecues since 1984. That's when this sweet, icy, delicious mash-up of the convenience-store staple (Slurpees!) and good ole wine was first introduced at the New York State Fair, according to Syracuse.com. The only thing that we can't figure out is why it took so long, considering that the origin story for frozen margaritas dates back to 1971, according to Smithsonian Magazine, a time when frozen daiquiris, which were invented in the 1930s, could already have been considered "old-school." Or as Jaime Bachtell-Shelbert, a plant-based dietitian and recipe developer, points out to us, "there are frozen margaritas and daiquiris, so why not enjoy a frozen wine drink to beat the heat?!"

Of course, those were our exact sentiments when Bachtell-Shelbert brought us this easy wine slushie recipe, which not only comes together in mere minutes, but also packs a berry-rich nutritional punch. So, let's have a look, shall we, at what you could be sipping on in five minutes time, with just two ingredients (not counting ice)?

What makes this easy wine slushie recipe so special is that whereas most slushies are made with tons of sugar, Bachtell-Shelbert's is made without any added sweetener at all. It relies solely on the sweetness of the wine and the berries — three cups of frozen mixed berries, to be exact. In fact, berries play such a prominent role in this recipe, that you couldn't be faulted for calling this a "wine smoothie" rather than a "wine slushie." 

In addition to your frozen mixed berries, you'll need 2 cups of sweet red wine. Since the berries go into this recipe frozen, they can stand alone as the "ice" component. But you're certainly welcome to toss in a handful of ice cubes as well, brain freeze be damned. 

After you gather together your two primary ingredients for this easy wine slushie recipe, there are two little things you'll want to do to ensure that your result is as stellar as Bachtell-Shelbert intended. First, pop four wine glasses in the freezer. "It's so nice enjoying these in a chilled glass," Bachtell-Shelbert explains. Then take out a high-powered blender — one that has a high speed function that can blend frozen drinks and deliver that "slushie" consistency. If you don't have a high-powered blender, a food processor should do just fine. 

Now, place your 3 cups of frozen berries into the blender or food processor and move directly to the next step.

Once you've settled on the proper blending appliance to use for this easy wine slushie recipe, and you've poured the frozen berries into said appliance, all that is left to do is to pour in the sweet wine, and blend until combined. At this point, you'll want to check the consistency. If you find that it's not as thick as you'd like, then add some ice. If it's too thick, add a bit more wine.

All that's left to do now is to take your four wine glasses out of the freezer (they should be nicely chilled by now), and divide your blended slushie among the glasses. For a fancy flourish, top with fresh berries and a fresh mint leaf. Enjoy with or without a straw, and remember, you're not just drinking a wine slushie, you're also drinking at least one serving of fruit per glass.