Nothing sounds quite as refreshing as a chilled glass of wine on a hot day. Now pair it with a popsicle, and you’ve got the boozy drink of the summer. Over at RGNY in Riverhead, they are combining wine and a Mexican frozen treat to take the idea of wine pops to the next level.
The popular New York City-based Mexican sweets company La Newyorkina is partnering with the winery to serve up RGNY wine with their paletas, a popsicle-like treat made from fresh fruit. “We encourage consumers to select their own paleta flavor and a glass of wine of their choosing,” Briana Lapadula, marketing director of RGNY, said. “If we had to choose [one combination], we would say our 2018 Scielo Rosé with the watermelon is our favorite.”
Currently, they are offering the paletas in the flavors mango with chile, cucumber and lime, pink limeade, watermelon and coconut, and to pair that with a glass of wine costs $15. Since adding wine-paletas combo to the menu, they’ve become so popular that RGNY plans on having them available through early fall. They are even experimenting with a to-go option for the future.
“It’s been a very hot summer so the combination of the unique paleta flavors coupled with our easy-to-drink wines is just perfection,” Lapadula said. “If you ask us, it’s the quintessential summer drink and a sweet cap-off to any North Fork outing.”
If you’re looking to make your own wine pops at home, we’ve got some tips and tricks. If you don’t have a popsicle mold, experiment with different shapes around your house. Try using small paper cups or large ice cube trays and with a popsicle stick or wooden skewers cut to size.
For the pops themselves, remember this ratio — 6 to 6 to 1. Six parts wine, six parts water, one part sweetener. For example, use 3 cups of wine, 3 cups of water and ½ cup of sugar as a base. From there, experiment using flavors you like. Add in citrus zest, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns or cloves for a bit of spice. If you’re using hard or dry spices, bring the entire mixture to a boil, cool and then add it to your molds and freeze.
If you want to keep it light and fresh, skip the boil and the spices, add fresh fruit juice (lime, lemon, cranberry etc.), honey for the sweetener and replace the flat water with sparkling. Pour into the molds with fresh cut berries and mint for some color and freeze overnight until solid.
Serve on it’s own or in a wine glass topped with what else but more wine!
