Orange Juice: A Citrus Sensation

• Orange juice reinforces the citrus bite of the sliced oranges, limes and lemons that give a light but distinctly fruity flavor to red wine that you find in most classic sangria recipes. Bite-sized chunks of apples, in addition to the colorful citrus slices, help form a bright, edible base for the mixture. Sprinkled with superfine sugar and marinated in brandy, orange juice and orange-flavored liqueur, the fruit will not only flavor the cocktail, but will soak up a lot of flavor, too. After marinating the mixture at room temperature for one to three hours, pour in a bottle of red wine. The finished sangria needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least four hours or overnight. Taste before serving, and add more orange juice to sweeten the cocktail, if desired.

Cranberry Juice: Sweet-Tart Goodness

• Tart cranberry juice evens out the sweetness of a fruity red wine for a rich, bold sangria. A mixture of unsweetened and sweetened cranberry juice creates a well-balanced cocktail base, giving you the deep flavor of unaltered cranberries without overwhelming the mixture with tart overtones. After mixing equal amounts of unsweetened and sweetened cranberry juice with red wine and brandy, drop in sliced oranges and apples, and a handful of pitted cherries and then refrigerate for at least two hours -- or overnight.

White Grape Juice: Neutral Ground

• White grape juice serves as a somewhat neutral base for a simple, citrus-infused sangria, allowing the fruit to lightly enhance a sweet white wine, such as zinfandel. For sangria with a subtle citrus flavor, combine white wine, white grape juice and sliced oranges, lemons and limes. After refrigerating for at least four hours, serve over ice and garnish with pitted cherries, if desired. For a more boldly flavored citrus sangria, muddle the sliced peel from one of the fruits with a little sugar to release the flavorful citrus oils. Marinate the muddled peel in the refrigerated sangria, and remove it before serving.

Apple Juice: Subtle Sweetness

• Apple juice enhances a fruity sangria that stars crunchy bits of apple and softer slices of peaches, both infused with peach-flavored liqueur. Added in limited quantities, apple juice subtly sweetens the white wine mixture, resulting in a light sangria with only a hint of apple flavor. After steeping the apples and peaches in sweet white wine, apple juice peach-flavored liqueur for two to four hours, and then serve over ice.