Escape the heat with our recipe for Watermelon Wine Slushies. It’s the backyard BBQ cocktail of the summer.

If you’re in need of a few more suggestions for adult beverages for summer, here are a few of our favorites: Sparkling Cucumber Gimlet, Peach Frosé, Blackberry Dark and Stormy, and Ginger Peach Bourbon Smash.

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Take your bottle of Riesling to the next level with this recipe for a Watermelon Grapefruit Wine Slush. It's the backyard BBQ drink of the summer. Print full recipe at TidyMom.net

Fresh Watermelon Slush

On a scorching hot summer afternoon do you ever get an intense craving for a Sonic slush? The perfect mix of fruit flavors and ice that is just right to cool you down. I’ll admit I get those cravings all the time, but I can’t always justify breaking in the middle of the day to drive 15 minutes to the closest one.

So, what’s a girl to do right? The only way to set this right was to create my own homemade slush I could enjoy anytime. Since I’m running the show here, not Sonic, I decided why not add a little wine and make it an essential watermelon slushie cocktail for summer!

It’s officially time to ditch the kiddy drinks and booze it up with these Watermelon Wine Slushies. Hold on to your socks ladies and gents because they’re about to be knocked off! 

What Is A Wine Slushie?

A wine slushie is a delightful frozen cocktail made by freezing wine with blended fruit. Offering a refreshing and boozy twist, perfect for cooling off during hot summer days.

Wine Slushes with fresh watermelon

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What’s In Watermelon Wine Slushies?

What makes this so great, huh? I’ll let you in on a little secret that takes this recipe to the next level. It’s the sparkling grapefruit juice that’s poured over the wine mixture. It adds a touch of fizzy grapefruit flavor, without overpowering the watermelon and wine.

The recipe also is full of fresh watermelon making it ridiculously refreshing! Since we have two sweet fruit flavors in this wine slushie I decided to go with a semi-dry wine, like a Riesling. It leaves you with a subtlely sweet drink and not one that’s going to give you an extreme sugar rush.

For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

  • seedless watermelon
  • Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, or Pinot Grigio (or your favorite white wine)
  • lemon juice
  • salt
  • sparkling grapefruit juice or water. Fever Tree, Q Mixers, or Sparkling Ice are good options (update 2023: I have trouble finding grapefruit Izze lately)
  • fresh mint leaves or basil for garnish (optional)
strain watermelon purée

How To Make Wine Slushies With Fresh Watermelon

When you are making this recipe, you’ll want to follow the full recipe at the bottom of the page.

  • PROCESS & STRAIN: Use a food processor or blender to process the watermelon until smooth. Then pour through a strainer to catch seeds and pulp.
  • MIX: Stir in wine, lemon juice, and salt.
  • FREEZE: Pour the watermelon slush mixture into a large zip-top bag and place it in the freezer for at least 4 hours.
  • SERVE: Spoon the watermelon wine slush into wine glasses, filling about 3/4 full. Top with sparkling grapefruit juice and stir. Serve with a mint leaf.

Tips For The Perfect Wine Slushies

  • Instead of a zip-top bag, freeze wine juice in ice cube trays.  When ready to enjoy, add about 6 ice cubes to a blender and process until smooth.  Pour into a glass and add sparkling grapefruit juice.
  • When it comes to picking a bottle of wine you’ll want to choose a light-bodied white wine that’s slightly sweet, such as Riesling, Pinot Grigio, or Moscato.
  • Make sure to strain the blended watermelon before freezing it. It will help catch any pulp or seeds.
Watermelon Grapefruit Wine Slush in a bag ready for the freezer

Can I Save Some Wine Slushies For Later?

Of course, you can! This is actually the perfect drink to save for later. If you make the whole recipe and decide you only want one glass, no problem!

After the initial freeze time, just spoon out as much as you want and store the rest in the freezer for up to 2 months. I just keep mine in the zip-top bag, but you could also put it in an airtight container.

fresh Watermelon  and Grapefruit Wine Slush in stemless wine glasses.

A Non-Alcoholic Watermelon Slush

To make this non-alcoholic just one main step needs to be changed. In place of the wine, use 3 cups of white grape juice with the watermelon.

You can also mix 2 cups white grape juice and 1 cup of grapefruit juice in place of the wine for an extra punch of grapefruit.

How to Serve A Slushie Wine Cocktail

Watermelon Grapefruit Wine Slushes are made to be a great party cocktail. The beauty of them is that there’s no ice or water to dilute the flavors. If the mixture melts it will just melt the icy wine and watermelon turning to liquid. No more chugging your drink in fear of a watered-down disaster!

Just place a few glasses on a tray, accompanied by some Antipasto Skewers, Pineapple Mango Salsa, and Cookie Brownie Sandwiches for the perfect party spread!

Don’t forget to check out some of these recipes for even more entertaining ideas:

Summer’s Perfect Frozen Cocktail

The fizz, the watermelon, the grapefruit, the wine… What’s not to love about this frozen cocktail? It has all of summer’s best things blended into one refreshing drink.

If you try it be sure to tell me what you think in the comments and let me know if you try it with any other fruits or combinations!

Like This Recipe? Pin It!

pinterest-image
wine slushies with fresh watermelon in stemless wine glasses

Originally posted in July 2014. UPDATED January 2024. We spiffed up this post with more information and new photos. No changes were made to the recipe.

Take your bottle of Riesling to the next level with this recipe for a Watermelon Grapefruit Wine Slush. It's the backyard BBQ drink of the summer. Print full recipe at TidyMom.net

Watermelon Grapefruit Wine Slush

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Minimum Freeze Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes

Beat the heat with our refreshing watermelon wine slushie recipe. Perfectly blended for a fruity and boozy delight. It's the backyard BBQ drink of the summer.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 a small seedless watermelon
  • 1 (750 ml) bottle of Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, or Pinot Grigio (or your favorite white wine)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • pinch of salt
  • sparkling grapefruit juice (see notes)
  • mint leaves or basil sprig (optional garnish)

Instructions

  1. Add watermelon to food processor or blender and process until smooth. Pour the blended fruit through a strainer to catch pulp and seeds.
  2. Add wine, lemon juice, and salt to strained watermelon juice and stir until well blended.
  3. Pour wine juice into a gallon freezer bag and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  4. When ready to serve, spoon the watermelon wine slush into wine glasses, filling about 3/4 full. Pour in sparkling grapefruit juice and stir. Serve with a mint leaf or basil sprig.

Notes

  • ALTERNATE DIRECTIONS: freeze watermelon and wine juice in ice cube trays. When ready to enjoy, add about 6 ice cubes to a blender and process until smooth. Pour into a glass and top with sparkling grapefruit juice.
  • When it comes to picking a bottle of wine you’ll want to choose a light-bodied white wine that's slightly sweet, such as Riesling, Pinot Grigio, or Moscato.
  • Make sure to strain the blended watermelon before freezing it. It will help catch any pulp or seeds.
  • We originally made this recipe using Izze sparkling grapefruit juice. If you have trouble finding it Fever Tree, Q Mixers, or Sparkling Ice are good options (updated 2023: I have trouble finding grapefruit Izze lately)

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 44Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 24mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 0gSugar: 2gProtein: 0g

Nutrition information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin, and freshness of ingredients used and are just estimates. We encourage, especially if these numbers are important to you, to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.

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wine slushie photo collage