Use a good port, red wine or even a Madeira if that’s what you have on hand. Cranberries have so much natural pectin that this sauce will set up even if you don’t refrigerate it.
Inspired by an old 19th-century American recipe, these golden peaches or nectarines are stained crimson by port wine and served in an intense vanilla cream, drizzled with their ruby cooking syrup. Make two to three days ahead and keep chilled. Assemble at the picnic site.