Now that the sandstorms have cleared, romance is back in the
air. It's Valentine's Week, time to unleash love-laced scents with every swirl,
and savor sips of wines built for love.
Here are Valentine's Day wine picks to get your juices
flowing. Let the swooning begin!
Bubblies
While Champagne
makes a fine traditional choice, sparklers that let loose with exotic aromas
are sure to get you in the mood for love. Say amore with an Italian Moscato,
whether a fine-fizz frizzante or full-sparkling spumante. Don't be put off by
some of the mass-production stuff you may have glugged down during the Moscato
mania of the past few years. The real deal from Piedmont
is perfumy with orange blossom aromas and a peachy palate that's bellissima.
If slightly sweet isn't your thing, try a brut rosé sparkler.
We like Mirabelle by Northern California's Schramsberg,
a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Made in the traditional method perfected
in Champagne, France, Mirabelle is beautiful to
look at and bursting with fresh, red-fruited flavor. This dry, perky rosé goes
with a wide range of foods, from pizza for casual lovebirds to chicken and
fish.
Want to pull out all stops this Valentine's? Match a
grower's Champagne
to a free-spirited lover, or make your stylista smile with a designer label such
as Krug or Tattinger.
Rosé
All pretty in pink, rosé is springtime love in a glass, even
in the dead of winter. Rosé rocks romance, and comes in a range of styles from
around the world. As a wine for pairing up and down the menu, it has few competitors.
Rosé can sail along with a variety of small plates or tackle a range of
adventurous main dishes. Best of all, rosé leaves your palate feeling refreshed and
ready for more – perhaps a few after-dinner smooches. Beyond reliable rosés from southern France, get
frisky with rosés made from your favorite red wine grapes. Oregon
rosés of Pinot Noir are as seductive as you might expect from that grape while Malbec
from Argentina
makes a deeply colored rosé that delivers full-throated fruity indulgence.
Whites
Even though a glass of white wine doesn't have that
come-hither look you get from a glass of red, some whites have the flower power
to seduce. Go with aromatic Viognier, whether a French homey from Condrieu or a
Central Coast beauty from Calera, Wild Horse or
Jaffurs. Go down under with an apricot-scented Viognier from Australia's Tahbilk or Yalumba, or head south of
the border to tango with Torrontés from Argentina. She might not even miss the
flowers you forgot to order. Well, maybe not.
Reds
If you've gotten this far, you probably agree that reds are
made for romance. And they are, especially reds that are soft on tannins yet big
on aromatics and mouthfeel. Save the puckering for later and go with a plush
Valpolicella made in the ripasso style. Zenato makes one that's creamy and
exotic, while Allegrini's effort in Argentina, Enamore, is made to do
just that. Other reds that reel in the sirens' call are Syrah (count on Washington, Central Coast,
northern Rhone, South
Africa and Australia), pricier Pinots (Shea,
Bergstrom and Ayoub are consistent winners) and Argentine Malbec. With the
latter, spend a bit more than you're used to spending for Malbec to indulge in a
sinfully rich experience that's front-loaded by heady violet and boysenberry aromas with
a chocolate and dark cherry climax.
Dessert Wines
Pass on heavy dessert calories and drink your dessert instead. Stickies
not only satisfy a sweet tooth but also wrap up Valentine's dinner with tasty, lingering
warmth that will keep you in the mood for love. Choices abound, from complex
and rich Ports to honeyed Muscat.
Look to Australia's
Rutherglen or Beaumes-de-Venise for bouquet and exotic flavors with just the right amount
of sweetness. If money is no object, go for broke with Essencia, a Hungarian
Tokaji that is pure luxury.
My pick this Valentine's? I'm going with the 2008 Clio, an
opulent, glass-staining Monastrell-Cabernet blend from Jumilla, Spain.
Let us know your love picks in the comments section. Happy Valentine's Day!
