Simple and elegant, a bowl of strawberries in red wine makes a lovely end to a spring or summer meal.

To make this dessert, just toss a basket of fresh, sweet strawberries with some fruity red wine, a splash of lemon juice, and a little sugar. For this batch, we used a Tempranillo wine with strawberry flavors of its own, but one could also use a wine like Merlot, Zinfandel, Santa Maddalena, Barbera, or Valpolicella.

After letting the berries macerate at room temperature for an hour, chill them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour and then serve. They are delightful as is or with a dollop of whipped cream of crème fraîche. We like to add a crack of black pepper or pink peppercorns, too.

Get a recipe: Strawberries in Red Wine (Gourmet)

Related: Red & Juicy: 15 Sweet Treats with Strawberries

(Images: Emily Ho)