Peaches in Wine

This is the kind of dessert they serve in small bistros across southern France. Sliced peaches soaked in a warm syrup of sweet white wine, sugar, and lemon juice, then chilled until cold and fragrant. Four ingredients, almost no cooking, and it looks like you fussed for hours.

Heating the sugar with the wine and lemon juice dissolves everything into a clear, thin syrup that the peaches drink up as they chill. The wine adds floral, fruity depth that plain sugar syrup can’t touch.

Lemon juice is the balancing act. It keeps the peaches from turning brown and adds a sharp brightness that prevents the dessert from being cloyingly sweet.

An hour in the fridge is the minimum, but these get better the longer they sit. Two to three hours gives the wine syrup time to fully permeate the fruit.

Kitchen Tips

• Use ripe, fragrant peaches at the peak of the season. Out-of-season peaches are mealy and bland, and no amount of wine syrup fixes that.
• A sweet white wine like Moscato, Riesling, or Sauternes works best. Dry whites are too tart for this application.
• Stir the peaches occasionally while chilling so every slice gets equal time in the syrup.
• Serve in shallow bowls or wine glasses with a spoonful of the syrup spooned over the top.

Variations

• Red wine version: Use a light red like Beaujolais for a ruby-tinted dessert with deeper, berry-like notes.
• Vanilla bean: Split a vanilla bean and add it to the syrup while heating for an aromatic, luxurious touch.
• With cream: Top each serving with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.