Fresh Berries with Red Wine Granita

Simple Solution
A granita is a kind of flavored ice reminiscent of childhood sno-cones, but this version is both very grown up and very, very French. Here, the tender sweetness of fresh seasonal berries (your choice of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries or any mixture therof) melds beautifully with the refreshingly tart, cool granita--and you don’t need an ice-cream maker to make it, either.
This is how a summer meal ends in provincial France. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and you have yourself a real dream of a dessert.
INGREDIENTS
4 cups fresh seasonal berries1 tablespoon sugarfresh mint sprigs for garnish
Granita
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
2 cups dry red wine
Juice of 1 orange
1. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Pour this syrup in a bowl and refrigerate about 30 minutes until cold.
2. Combine red wine and orange juice with syrup, stirring to mix thoroughly. Pour into a nonreactive metal pan, approximately 8 by 10 inches, and 1 inch deep. (The liquid should be about 1/2 inch deep in the pan.) Put the pan in the freezer for about 2 hours, then remove and stir with a fork to break up the crystals. Return the pan to the freezer. In 30 minutes, remove pan again and break up crystals with the fork. Repeat this process until the granita begins to firm. Then remove pan every 15 minutes and break up crystals until all of the liquid has transformed into well-separated granules. The entire process should take about 4 or 5 hours.
3. Put the berries in a bowl, sprinkle with sugar, and stir gently to combine. Set aside.
4. Chill individual bowls in the freezer. When ready to serve, spoon some granita into each bowl, then top with mixed berries. Garnish with sprigs of mint.
Serves 8.