Summer is in full swing and what’s better on a hot day than a nice frozen treat? Well, maybe a frozen treat enjoyed alongside a nice glass of wine! I love making my own summer popsicles because you can easily customize the ingredients and control exactly what goes in them, which is especially nice when you’re making them for a specific purpose.

These two different popsicle recipes call for just a few ingredients each and they both were inspired to complement the tasting notes in Cambria’s Benchbreak Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

The Chardonnay has beautiful tasting notes of citrus, pineapple, white peach, apple, and vanilla, so for the first popsicle I was decided to blend white peach and vanilla together with coconut cream, which actually makes this creamy popsicle non-dairy! If you aren’t a fan of coconut or would rather use real milk, I’d go with heavy cream or some half and half.

White Peach Vanilla Popsicles

Ingredients (makes 6-8 pops):

• 2 ½ cups of chopped white peaches (about 3 medium peaches), plus a few extra slices
• ½ cup canned coconut cream
• 1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla extract (or you could use 1 real vanilla bean if you have it)
• ¼ cup of sugar (optional depending on how sweet your peaches are)

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender. Puree until smooth.
2. Pour into popsicle molds.
3. Add 1-2 slices of peach to the mold before freezing.
4. Pop in the freezer until set.

Moving on to Pinot Noir, Cambria’s Benchbreak Pinot showcases notes of cranberry, cherry, pomegranate, strawberries, and baking spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. I decided to go with the berries and whipped up some strawberry-blueberry summer popsicles with pomegranate juice. I love these because they’re just fruit, so they’re extra-refreshing, especially when it's toasty outside!

Strawberry-Blueberry-Pomegranate Popsicles

Ingredients (makes 6-8 pops):

• 1 ½ cups fresh chopped strawberries
• ½ cup blueberries
• ½ cup pomegranate juice

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender. Puree until smooth.
2. Pour into popsicle molds.
3. Freeze until frozen through.

Both of these summer popsicles are fantastic in the afternoon or as a treat after dinner. Try a sip of wine and a taste of the popsicle to see how the flavors align! These are the perfect treat all summer long, whether you’re at the pool, at a barbecue, or just enjoying them in your own kitchen.

Cheers!

Megan Flynn Peterson, Freckled Italian