As for what fruits go good in Sangria, well it is basically a wine punch so you have to know something about wine to figure that out, since wine already has "notes" of flavors in it which is what the fruit enhances in the punch. And I agree, go with just one type of wine unless you know a whole lot about blending wines. There are blended wines out there that you can buy, such as "Menage a Trois" which is a blended red wine that I like. I'm interested in blended wines and I have tried a few and found that a lot of them I don't like, so that's why I say you have to be careful and if you're new to Sangria I would agree with Sushipup, start with the basics and you can branch out from there. Also, there are certain fruits that seem to go more with red wine and others that go with white wine, which is why there are recipes out there for both types of Sangria. It has to do with the flavor notes of the wine. For example, I would say that kiwi would be good with some white wines but I can't imagine it with a complex red wine, but I can imagine blueberries going OK with a red. Another example is peach, which I think goes extremely well with white wine but just gets lost in a red wine. Same with strawberries--they are great with wine but would be lost with a strong red wine. Cherries and apples and blackberries, on the other hand, would go well with a red. I love to eat grapefruit, but in my experience with trying it in mixed fruit things and salads, etc., it just doen't play well with too many other tastes. It is one of the flavor notes of some wines though, but I'm not sure which ones. But if you're not a wino and don't know all the nuances of the different wines, best to start and stick with the tried and true.

Now that I've moved to the southwest where the summers are HOT HOT HOT and the winters are mild, my consumption of red wine has drastically declined. I LOVE red wine... but I pretty much only have it in the winter when I'm braising or roasting meats. Spring, summer and fall are all about salads & grilling outside and drinking whites or rosés. I'm pretty much a rosé junkie now. Luckily the local liquor store has a huge selection. I'm partial to old world rosés because they have significant minerality and are very dry on the palate. Dark rosés are great even with grilled meats and lighter rosés are wonderful with poultry & seafood. One of my favorite combinations is a french muscadet with oysters. (That is one taste preference that hasn't changed: I still love cold water oysters more than warm water oysters). French rosés are inexpensive, usually anywhere from $8 - $15 a bottle and are fantastic.

The issue is not my personal knowledge, although I have tasted sweet reds, but would not have been able to name them. The issue was whether there are sweet reds...and there are. ETA: Okay, I remembered a varietal that I thought has some sweetness although I don't recall the vintner of the one I drank....so I looked up Nebbiolo and found this: from the Wine Spectator that used "sweet" in their notes (although I question the appeal of sawdust!): Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Pora Riserva 2009 Nebbiolo from Piedmont, Italy Winemaker's Notes Ruby red in color with bright ripe cherry and raspberry notes followed by an earthy complexity on the nose. This is a full-bodied and intense wine with rich tannins and a long finish. Critical Acclaim WS92 Wine Spectator - "Hints of sawdust, licorice and dried cherry render this complex. With air, notes of cherry and strawberry emerge. Sweet, rich and supported by fine tannins. Best from 2017 through 2028."

Deborah Madison has a very good rhubarb custard tart that you brush a little Grand Marnier on the top after pulling it out of the oven. A bit of Grand Marnier is also good in tea. I guess this winter I will have to try making my own limoncello. I have put amaretto in apricot jam. I am eyeing some different liquers at Total Wine, I just have a hard time ponying up the money for it. I do love beer in beans (borracho), it adds a great element. My MIL boils ribs in beer before grilling them. They taste great but I am too cheap to do that. There is a ginger liquer that I really want to try soon. We have kirsch for black forest cake. When DH was supposed to get the kirsch, he got Maraschino liquer intead, that went into some homemade maraschino cherries and those are fabulous. Dried chipotle peppers were steeped in the syrup before canning, yum, yum. I have never had a margarita. I had planned on making some this summer but summer is almost over. Maybe next year. A question to the poster who mentioned Madeira. Would Rainwater be okay to cook with? DH really likes the 10 year Madeira but it is difficult to find and with the cost of it, there is no way I am putting a bunch of it in a sauce, no matter how special the dinner is.