Tinto de Verano Ice Cubes are my favorite thing I have made all summer. A delicious Spanish spritz with two orange wedges and a rolled lemon wedge. All frozen inside Garnacha wine cubes, then dropped into a glass, and topped with your favorite lemon-lime soda. As they melt, they turn your drink into a slow, cold, perfectly balanced tinto de verano that gets better with every sip.
I have spent months in Spain across several trips, and tinto de verano, which translates to "summer red wine," is what everyone drinks when the heat is serious. It is simpler than sangria, colder than a glass of wine, and more refreshing than either. A chilled mix of red wine and lemon-lime soda that the Spanish drink everywhere from rooftop bars in Madrid to beach bars in Andalusia.
If you want some tapas to go with your tinto de verano, I got you with Gambas Pilpil and Chicken Pinchos Morunos!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
The most elegant ice cube you will ever make. Citrus frozen inside wine looks stunning in a glass and tastes even better as it melts.
It gets better as it melts. The wine and citrus slowly infuse into the soda and every sip is more flavorful than the last.
Two ingredients to assemble. Drop the cubes in a glass, top with soda, done.
A slow drink that stays cold. No watered-down wine from melting regular ice cubes. Just more wine flavor as the glass empties.
Tinto de Verano Ice Cubes Video
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Ingredient Notes
Garnacha: Garnacha is a Spanish red grape variety that produces wines with bright red fruit flavors, a gentle warmth, and enough acidity to hold up beautifully against the citrus and the lemon-lime soda. It is one of the most widely planted grapes in Spain, particularly in Aragón and Navarra.
Orange and Lemon Wedges: The orange freezes inside the wine and releases a slow citrus sweetness as it melts, rounding out the acidity of the Garnacha beautifully. The lemon adds a bright, sharp contrast that keeps the drink from tasting too fruity or sweet.
Lemon Lime Soda: Whatever brand you love. Lemon-lime soda is the traditional mixer in tinto de verano, and its bright carbonation is what turns the melting wine cubes into a proper drink. Sprite, 7UP, or any lemon-lime soda you prefer all work beautifully.
Silicone Ice Cube Mold: The right mold makes this recipe. You need a silicone mold with cavities large enough to hold two orange wedges and a rolled lemon wedge alongside enough wine to freeze into a proper cube. A standard large cube silicone mold works well. The link to the exact mold I use is in the recipe card.
Substitutions & Variations
No Garnacha? Any fruity approachable Spanish red wine works here. Tempranillo is the most widely available Spanish red and makes a beautiful tinto de verano with a slightly more earthy, structured flavor. Avoid anything too tannic or too oaky as those flavors become more pronounced once frozen and melted.
Want to add more citrus? A thin slice of blood orange added to the mold alongside the regular orange makes a stunning and slightly more complex cube. The deep red color bleeds into the wine as it melts and looks incredible in the glass.
Want a non-alcoholic version? Freeze red grape juice with the citrus wedges instead of wine. Top with sparkling water and a squeeze of lemon for a beautiful alcohol free version that captures the same spirit.
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⭐️ Recipe
Tinto de Verano Ice Cubes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 bottle Garnacha wine
- 2 seedless oranges cut into wedges
- 2 lemons cut into wedges
- 1 L Lemon lime soda of choice for serving
Instructions
Build the cubes
- Cut the oranges and lemons into small wedges that fit comfortably inside your silicone mold cavities. Remove any seeds from both. Place two orange wedges into each cavity of the silicone mold. Take one lemon wedge and roll it tightly between your fingers so it is compact, then tuck it into the cavity alongside the orange wedges. Repeat with all six cavities.2 seedless oranges, 2 lemons
Fill with wine
- Pour the Garnacha slowly and steadily into each cavity over the citrus wedges. Fill all the way to the top. Pour slowly so the citrus stays in place as the wine fills around it. If any wedges float or shift, gently press them back into position before the wine settles.1 bottle Garnacha wine
Freeze
- Carefully transfer the filled mold to the freezer. Freeze overnight or for at least 6 hours until the cubes are completely solid all the way through. Do not rush this step. A partially frozen cube will melt too fast and you will not get that slow gradual wine and citrus infusion that makes this drink so good.
Assemble and serve
- Remove two wine ice cubes from the mold and place in a wide glass. Pour your lemon lime soda of choice directly over the cubes. Watch as the soda hits the frozen wine and immediately starts to take on that deep red color. Serve immediately and enjoy slowly as the cubes melt and the drink becomes more deeply flavored with every sip.1 L Lemon lime soda of choice for serving
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!