Luxist Guide To Romantic Wines For Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day gives me license to indulge in my taste for sweet wines and wines which have a more voluptuous feel. What makes a wine romantic? It can be sugar, it can be color, it can be notes of flowers or chocolate, it can be a name that references love. Personally, I think all good wine is a bit romantic but there are some wines that just speak to the heart more than others. My top choice is the Inniskill 2004 Cabernet Franc Ice Wine
Red ice wine? Oh yes and it's amazing. It combines the raisiny qualities of a Port with the lightness of an ice wine. It's full of the taste of ripe berries but with an undercurrent of spice and the flower of warm heat in your belly that makes dessert wine so seductive. The wine is also a perfectly lovely red. It sells for around $85.
John Anthony 2005 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc
Amazing things come out of winemaker in Napa. Their Cabernet Sauvignon kicks serious ass but if you haven't tried their late harvest Sauvignon Blanc, you could use Valentine's Day as your excuse. For a late harvest it's not overly sweet and captures a bit of the grassy herbal tastes that make Sauvigon Blanc popular. It sells for $55.
O'Brien Cellars 2004 Seduction
The 2004 Seduction wine, a Cabernet-based blend, comes with a burgundy organza gift bag and sells for $35. The company donates to Equality California, a GLBT civil-rights organization which is working helping to end California's ban on same-sex marriage so this is perfect to share with your same sex Valentine.
2003 Luce Della Vite
This dark red wine from Montalcino is a rounded and hearty Tuscan wine. It takes the classic Italian Sangiovese and blends in some Merlot for a bit of soft voluptuousness. It would be a romantic companion to an Italian feast. It can be found for around $67.
Henriot NV Rose Brut Champagne
Pink champagne is the classic Valentine's Day choice it's right up there with your red roses, box of Godivas and perhaps a lobster dinner. Cheaper than some of the other options but the thing that makes it Valentine-ready in my opinion is the fact in addition to the classic rose petal and red fruit notes there is a little bit of a cinnamon taste to it. Subtler than a cinnamon red hot heart but it's there. It can be found for around $55.
2005 Cold Heaven Domaine des Deux Mondes, Saints & Sinners Viognier
This is what I will be drinking this Valentine's Day even if it is a bit summery for the time of year. The wine is a winemaking collaboration between Morgan Clendenen and Yves Cuilleron from Condrieu. A white wine with pear and oak notes it has a subtle sense of mystery and romance. It sells for $30.
2003 Deux Amis Petite Sirah
The winery is a partnership between two friends, Phyllis Zouzounis and Jim Penpraze who make high quality Zinfandel as well as Petite Sirah. This wine has plum and mocha notes with a rounded mouthfeel. It sells for $28
Late Harvest Zins and Zin Ports
I'm referring you back to my tastings at ZAP because there were so many fine late harvest Zinfandels and Port-style Zins that would make a wonderful choice to go with a dark chocolate mousse or flourless chocolate cake. My choice for giving is absolutely the 2003 Eos Zinfandel Port, it has a beautiful lady on the pewter label and the stuff inside is absolutely fantastic too.
