Merlot and 7-Up anyone?

Can it really be true that the favourite new drink of the army of Texans to invade Washington for yesterday's presidential inauguration was Merlot with 7-Up, as reported in today's New York Times? Has anyone tried this Lone Star version of sangria? Would they admit if they had?

My daughter tells me that in Madrid a very commonplace drink nowadays is Kalimocho, any old red wine and Coke. She can't remember what they call it when the wine is white.

All of this makes those apocryphal new Chinese millionaires said to mix their Petrus with Sprite seem like the ultimate in sophisticated connoisseurs.