Do you hear that? It’s a familiar tune that often echoes through the neighborhood on a warm summer’s day and is often followed by the excited cheers of children (and adults). The tune is most likely “Turkey in the Straw,” made famous by – yes, you guessed it – the ice cream truck.

Let’s take a moment to stop what we are doing and get nostalgic. Think back to the time when your only summer plans were wilderness camps, swimming, sleeping in, summer reading lists, or water balloon battles – all interrupted any time the ice cream truck tune would be heard from a distance.

Whether you were a bubble gum character, fudgesicle, or King Cone kind of person, it’s time to elevate your adult ice cream enjoyment with the perfect wine pairings. Let’s dive in.

Ice cream and wine pairings

We couldn’t let summer go by without talking about ice cream and wine. You might notice some similarities to our chocolate, holiday dessert, and cookie pairing guides.

We kick things off with the royal King Cone. A King Cone is a sugar cone filled with vanilla ice cream and topped with chocolate and peanuts. The best part? The chocolate hiding at the bottom of the cone. For this ice cream truck classic, we recommend Bordeaux.

Next up, we have the Strawberry Shortcake Bar. When you bite into this ice cream pop, there’s acidity from the berry center with a rich, creamy finish from the outer layers of vanilla ice cream and cake crumbs. To balance the weight of the ice cream and the fruit flavor, we suggest rosé.

Dessert tacos – and spicy tacos – are our jam. This Choco Taco ice cream truck classic features vanilla ice cream with fudge swirls wrapped in a sugar cone taco shell. It’s then dipped in chocolate coating and topped with crushed peanuts. TBH, it’s all of the flavors of a King Cone in a different shape. For this one, we love a Zinfandel.

Last on our list of ice cream and wine pairings is the Creamsicle – a popsicle with a rich, creamy low-fat vanilla ice cream center and orange sherbet exterior. We recommend pairing this orange-flavored treat with Prosecco (which basically makes a mimosa). The bubbly will compliment the citrus and help cut through the creamy center.

Bonus ice cream and wine pairings

Because we can’t go through the entire ice cream truck repertoire, here are a few more pairings to try:

• Character ice cream (Spongebob, Spiderman, etc.) and Riesling

• Crunch bar and Merlot

• Chocolate eclair and Cabernet Sauvignon

• Fudgesicle and Syrah

• Classic ice cream sandwich and Burgundy

• Chocolate chip cookie sandwich ice cream and Chardonnay

Happy pairing! For more pairing inspiration, follow us on social.