Sparkling Wines

• Fantastic for brunches and afternoon celebrations are Mimosas (sparkling wine with orange juice) and Bellinis (sparkling wine, usually Prosecco, with peach juice). Popular in France are Kir Royales (champagne with Crème de Cassis). The Champagne Cocktail, popular in the '50s and '60s, is served in a flute with a sugar cube, a dash or two of Angostura bitters and a lemon twist.

Red Wines

• Burgundy Punch is a great cocktail for parties, combining Burgundy or Cabernet Sauvignon with cherry brandy, port, orange juice, lemon and sugar. Several cocktails also are made with Claret, including the Claret Cobbler and the Claret Cup. Other dry reds are the bases for the London Dock, Manhattan Cooler, Locomotive Light, and of course, sangria.

White Wines

• Kir, the sister of the Kir Royale, is made with white wine and Crème de Cassis. White wines are used as the base of only a handful of drinks, including the Bonnie Prince, Regent's Punch, the Spritzer.

Port

• Port is a thick wine often served as a digestif. Ruby port is the base for great variety of drinks like Daniel's Cocktail, Negus Punch, Port Milk Punch, Port Wine Cobbler and the Devil's Cocktail.

Mulled Wine

• Popular around the holidays during cold weather are mulled wines. These drinks are cooked in large batches on a stove, usually combining wine with a hard liquor like vodka, Aquavit or brandy, and steeped with spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and sometimes nuts and raisins.

Liquors Made with Wine

• Some liquors are made with wine, including vermouth, sherry, brandy, cognac, Dubonnet and Lillet. These are often served as apertifs or in drinks like the martini, Manhattan, Americano, Dubbonet Fizz, Plaza Cocktail, San Francisco Cocktail and Sherry Eggnog.