Wine Ideas for Valentines Day

10 Wine (and Spirits) Ideas for Valentines Day

Wine and romance seem to go hand in hand and Valentines Day is a great opportunity to open a great bottle of wine or give one as a gift. So whether you are looking for a Valentine’s Dinner wine or something to give as a gift, here are a few ideas – Rosé, Hampshire Sparkling wine, Beaujolais and Rosé Champagne, amongst others, plus a couple of tongue in cheek alternative from Some Young Punks. There is also a very large bottle of vodka!

Along with, particularly, pink wine Valentines Day seems to be a time for giving chocolates. With this is mind, there is a good article from Erica Dent at Enjoy Discovering Wine about pairing wine and chocolate.

Please follow the links for more information.

1. Top Notch Rosé

Domaines Ott Clos Mireille Couer de Grain Rose, Cotes de Provence

Perhaps the best rosé in the world! It has a peachy colour with crystalline highlights. The nose is elegant with notes of white-fleshed fruits including peach. The palate is full and rich in structure. The palate is perfectly balanced between fresh, fruitiness and a more generous richness. There are more lingering notes of peach, and nectarine, on the clean, mineral and elegant finish.

2. Pink Champagne

A very traditional Valentines Day Gift!

Champagne Gosset Grand Rosé Brut NV

Champagne Gosset is the oldest Champagne House and was founded in Ay in 1584. Superbe
“Complex aromas and flavors of yeast, apple and dried flowers mark this effusive, fresh rosé. Nice weight and balance, with everything in the right proportion.” 90 Points, Wine Spectator

Champagne Forget-Brimont 1er Cru Rosé

Fine Champagne from a small, independent and family-owned Champagne House. Read more about Champagne Forget Brimont.

“This is deep and sappy, showing more dried fruit than fresh. Cherry, strawberry, orange and almond combined with the creamy texture and fine mousse for an harmonious impression. Excellent length.” 91 Points, Wine Spectator

3. BLING, BLING!!

Champagne Armand de Brignac Brut Gold NV in wooden box “Ace of Spades”
Rated the Number 1 Champagne in the World in a blind-tasting of 1,000 brands, scored 98 points by Jose Penin (the highest-ever rating for a Champagne) and praised by Jancis Robinson, among many others.

Champagne Armand de Brignac Brut Gold “Ace of Spades” NV is complex and fullbodied, with light floral notes, a racy fruit character, and subtle brioche accents on the palate. Lovely density and depth tight bead, creamy texture, and long finish. A complex yet sharply focused brut.

4. Say It With Flowers!

Flowers Vineyard Sea View Ridge Pinot Noir

Sonoma Coast 2009

Flowers Vineyard Sea View Ridge Pinot Noir is a deep vibrant red color. It has delicate floral notes of rose petal and lilac which give way to rich aromas of raspberry compote. Flavours emerge on the palate with pomegranate, cranberry and hints of graphite and other minerals. The wine’s texture is elegant and smooth across the palate with an enduring finish. Ready to drink upon release or cellar through 2016.

5. Say It With A Label!

Torres Perpetual Priorat.
Perpetual has two meanings. Take your pick as to which one is suitable for Valentine’s Day!!! Superb Spanish red wine.

1. Perpetual: adjective
   never ending or changing.
   Synonyms: everlasting, never-ending, eternal, permanent, unending, endless, without end, lasting, long-lasting, constant, abiding, enduring, perennial, timeless, ageless, deathless, undying, immortal
2. occurring repeatedly; so frequent as to seem endless and uninterrupted
   Synonyms: interminable, incessant, ceaseless, endless, without respite, relentless, unrelenting, persistent, frequent, continual, continuous, non-stop, never-ending, recurrent, repeated, unremitting, sustained, round-the-clock, habitual, chronic, unabating

6. Go Fizzy and Green

Great Sparkling Wines from Hampshire. Declare your undying love whilst saving the planet. Meonhill Wines and Hambledon Vineyard make fine Hampshire Sparkling wine and they are just on our doorstep.

Hambledon Vineyard Mill Down Brut 2010

Hambledon Vineyard Mill Down Brut 2010 is a light, pale straw colour with some green hints and lots of small, fine bubbles. The nose aromas of floral aromas, red apples, some strawberry / red fruit notes and a chalky minerality or stone character. The palate is dominated by citrus / lemon flavours and is very fresh, clean and well-balance with fine mineral character and zingy, refreshing acidity. Good long finish. A superb aperitif and also makes a great match to lobster, oysters or strawberries and cream.

Now out of stock – check out Hambledon Vineyard Classis Cuvée instead.

Meonhill Reserve Brut NV

Pale golden colour, with a fine bead and good mousse. The full and soft nose show aromas of apricot, red fruit (strawberries), white blossom along with slightly autolytic, nutty, yeasty and honeyed characteristics. On the palate there are quite green flavours including, lime and green apple and hints of caramel leading to a nutty, biscuit, brioche-like finish.

Meonhill Chardonnay Brut (Blanc de Blancs) NV

“So ‘blanc de blanc’, but Pierson wants to keep it English (though ‘blanc de blanc’ is mentioned on the back label). Three years on lees. Citrus creamy nose, with perky palate attack, toasted lemons, and good intensity of rich sweet-lees/brioche thing on the palate. Fine, persistent mousse. Fresh, and with some roundness/plushness on the citrus-led mid palate. Good.” Sally Easton MW www.winewisdom.co.uk

7. St Amour Les Cru des Amoureux

St Amour Les Cru des Amoureux

Domaine de la Porte du Paradise, Boutinot

A Beaujolais for lovers! I suppose this could be (very) loosely translated as St Love Lover’s Cru!

The Saint Amour Les Cru des Amoureux has aromas of red fruits; cherries, as well as floral hints and light spice on the nose. The palate is delicate, with sweet fresh fruit, a wonderful minerality and a silky mouthfeel. A good lighter style wine that can be served lightly chilled.

8. Fair Trade Pink Fizz

Torres Chile Santa Digna Estelado Rosé, Traditional Method (Fair Trade) Torres Family Wines 2012

Get into the whole pink and sparkly Valentine’s vibe whilst
knowing that you are helping out farmers in Chile growing the rare grape variety Pais.

This is the world’s first sparkling wine made from the “País” grape, which has a personality all of its own. It has a pale rose colour, with fine and persistent bubbles. The nose has dominant aromas of fruit (red fruits and citrics) whilst the palate is fresh, lively, and shows genuine characteristics of the ancient Pais grape variety. Fresh, clean and elegant.

9. They Say That Size Doesn’t Matter, But…….

In this case size matters!

Do you know anyone who loves vodka? A lot?

This 6 Litre bottle of Belvedere Vodka (that is over eight and a half standard bottles) also lights up from the bottom. The picture shows the 6 Litre bottle on the left next to a standard bottle.

Belvedere Pure Vodka has a a faint hint of vanilla on the nose along with some gentle, soft cream characteristics. The palate is full and round with a medium bodied weight and rich, velvety texture. There is some vanilla swaying between sweet and savoury with a hint of white pepper and spice. Good length with notes of almond, clotted cream and some faint almond and brazil nut characteristics.

Belvedere also make a very interesting Bloody Mary Vodka.

10. For The Brave Valentine

If you are willing to risk a slap round the face, this could be the wine for you this Valentines Day.

Some Young Punks Quickie Sauvignon Blanc, Adelaide Hills

Ignoring the funky Some Young Punks label (which is hard to do!), this is a great Australian Sauvignon Blanc. Sometimes they can be a bit flabby, but this is crisp, dry and really refeshing.

Some Young Punks Quickie Sauvignon Blanc has a very pale straw colour with a faint greenish tinge. The nose is floral (blossom), with a slightly green herbaceous note and a background confectionery note. The palate is full and rounded and is reminiscent of a tropical fruit salad, packed with definite passion fruit, lychee and mango flavours. The palate is dry and crisp but this is deceptive because there is a good burst of natural sweetness at the front of the palate as well. A great, refreshing Sauvignon Blanc with a good mineral backbone.