The Effortless Peach Dessert I’m Making All Summer Long

Part of my family lore is that at my uncle’s wedding, when I was almost two years old, I snuck into the back room, climbed onto the table, and ate all of the strawberries out of the glasses of champagne staged for the toast. To be honest, in 40 years, not much has changed—one of my favorite summer treats remains wine-soaked fruit.

There is some sort of magic that happens when you macerate stone fruit like peaches and plums with a little sugar and vanilla, then add white or rosé wine and let it sit overnight. The fruit takes on all of the beautiful, complex flavor of the wine and the resulting syrup is so full of flavor, I could quite literally drink it by the glass. 

The fruit is delicious on its own, but when I serve it for a dinner party, I like to finish it off with a dollop of whipped cream or serve it over a scoop of vanilla gelato for a bit of a boozy twist on a sundae. It’s the perfect make-ahead dessert for summer entertaining. I also love to use the syrup to brush onto layer cakes before serving. It keeps them moist and adds a really lovely flavor. 

Tips for Making My Wine-Soaked Stone Fruit

• I like to add a little fresh mint to infuse the syrup with an herbaceous note, but feel free to skip it if you are not a fan. 
• This recipe works well with any combination of stone fruit, like peaches, nectarines, plums, and cherries 
• In terms of wine, it’s all a matter of preference. My palate craves dry, crisp, almost crunchy white wines and rosé in the summer, but if you prefer your wine on the sweeter side, feel free to use something that suits you. My favorite varietals to use here are Pinot Grigio, Vermentino, or Sauvignon Blanc. 
• Plan ahead! The fruit needs to soak for at least 8 hours and ideally overnight. 

How To Make My Wine-Soaked Peaches

To make 8 servings (about 1 quart of fruit), you’ll need:

• 2 cups white or rosé wine
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 6 ripe but firm peaches or plums (or a combo), pitted and cut into thin wedges
• 5 to 6 fresh mint leaves, optional
• Lightly whipped cream, for serving, optional

In a large bowl, whisk together the wine, sugar, honey, and vanilla. Add the fruit and stir to combine. Add the mint leaves, if using, then place a slightly smaller bowl on top to fully submerge the fruit in the wine. Tightly cover the large bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge for at least 8 hours, but ideally 12. 

When ready to serve, remove and discard the mint, if you added it. Scoop the fruit into small dessert cups, then drizzle with a generous amount of the syrup. Dollop with whipped cream and serve. 

The fruit will keep in the fridge for about 4 days. Make sure it is tightly sealed and fully submerged in the syrup during storage.