This shop is part of a post that has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BlackBoxSummer #CollectiveBias The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or older.
A picnic on a glorious summer day. Picture that. Now what could make it even better? Delicious food, dessert and wine! And if you’re looking for an idea that pairs great-quality wine with dessert, try this delicious and simple Cherry and Blackberry Red Wine Granita with Sweetened Black Pepper Sour Cream, made with a smooth, fruity Cabernet Sauvignon from Black Box Wines! Sweet, refreshing, fruity, boozy, and perfect for summer entertaining!
My husband has been a busy bee these last few weeks, so free time together has been a luxury for us. So when we did get a chance recently, we made a day of it! It was summer-like weather in early April and the outdoors were calling to us. We obliged, with a backyard picnic, complete with fabulous food and great wine!
I always try to keep the hassle to a minimum when I pack for a quick picnic or a day out. I like to avoid glassware whenever I can – the last thing I want is broken glassware and a visit to the emergency room instead of the park. That’s where boxed wines come in really handy and I have found the perfect answer – Black Box Wines! Top-quality wine, at half the price of bottled wine. Plus one box = four 750ml bottles, and you don’t have to worry about the wine going bad either because Black Box Wines stay fresh up to 6 weeks! Not that it’s ever going to last that long in my house though.
With over 50 Gold Medals for quality under its belt, you don’t have to worry about quality with this wine. And I can attest to how delicious it is! This Cabernet Sauvignon has cherry and blackberry notes and a touch of black pepper spice and soft, smooth tannin flavor. I wanted to make a cool, refreshing dessert using this red wine that enhanced those flavors.
Enter – Granita! It’s so easy to prepare – there’s no churning or whipping involved! Just mix the ingredients and chill and then flake it with a fork before serving. This is why it’s great for picnics. And what’s even better is that if you leave it outside for a while, it turns in to a slushie with delicious fruity pieces in it! It’s a dessert that keeps on giving. 🙂
So it’s lightly sweetened, with chopped cherries and blackberries mixed with red wine, frozen and then flaked just before serving for an amazing summer dessert! But hey, I didn’t stop there. I topped it with some sweetened sour cream that was spiced with a little black pepper for a lovely kick. I used sour cream because it travels well unlike whipped cream. You could use mascarpone or creme fraiche instead if you like, but I prefer the more pronounced tangy flavor of sour cream, with that hint of black pepper spice contrasting really well with the sweet and fruity taste of red wine granita.
I paired this red wine granita with this Red Wine Marinated Grilled Steak Sandwich for which you can get the recipe right here. Plus you can learn more about Black Box Wines and also about Cabernet Sauvignon in that post too! Nothing better than good wine, great food and awesome company on a glorious day outside!
- 3 oz pitted sweet black cherries
- 3 oz blackberries
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp wine
- 3 sprigs of thyme (optional)
- 3 oz pitted sweet black cherries (chopped - frozen is fine)
- 3 oz blackberries
- 2 cups of red wine - I used Black Box Cabernet Sauvignon
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp freshly cracked pepper
- Place the ingredients for the syrup in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. In the last 5 minutes, use a spoon or fork to gently crush the fruits into the syrup.
- Strain the syrup using a sieve. Use the spoon to squeeze out the liquid in the fruits and discard the pulp. Place the syrup in a large flat container and let it cool.
- Roughly chop the cherries and blackberries and add them to the syrup. Top it with the wine and mix to combine. Cover and freeze overnight, or until it has hardened.
- Once hardened, use a fork to scrape the surface and break it into flakes. Mix well, once you have flaked all of it. Keep it in the freezer until ready to use.
- Spoon the granita into cups and top it with some sweetened sour cream.
- Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and keep it refrigerated until needed.
Have you ever had Granita before?? What’s your favourite Picnic dessert? You can visit Simple Entertaining Social Hub for more fantastic Summer entertaining ideas!
So what did we learn today?
Red wine is great for more than just drinking! 🙂 You can enhance the fruity flavors and natural sweetness by adding extra fruit to make a wonderful, refreshing summer dessert!
Granita is a form of frozen dessert, where liquid is frozen and then broken into icy flakes (as opposed to creamy ice cream or smooth sorbet – that have tinier icy particles).
It’s great for entertaining because it takes very little time to make and as it melts it turns into a refreshing slushie!
Just click on the photo to get the recipe for Red Wine Marinated Grilled Steak Sandwiches!
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I’ll be sharing my recipe over at –
FoodieFriDIY | Friday Favorites | Fiesta Fridays | Saucy Saturdays
Dini, looks delicious. Love the idea.
This looks amazing and the combination of flavors is simply a robust one I can tell !!!
Jeez. My picnics are just sandwiches. Lol. This looks really good.
I’m guessing everyone wants to be on YOUR picnic! This granita is such a stunning, deep color. That alone would lure me in. And I’m sure the flavor is wonderful!
Thank you Valentina! 🙂 I love the color too! I hope you get to try it this Summer – it definitely is really refreshing!
It’s been AGES since I’ve had granita! I love the addition of the flavored sour cream on top. BTW, that steak sandwich looks divine!
Isn’t granita the best? So easy to make but so so good!! The sour cream was a great contrast and still good on it’s own too! Thank you Whitney! 😀
Just gorgeous! Look at those colors!
Thank you so much Loretta!! 🙂
This looks so refreshing yet indulgent! Yum! #client