The 9 Best Wines for Valentine’s Day
Looking for something to give your Valentine this year? Chocolates, flowers, and wine, definitely wine. Valentine’s day is right around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than with a bottle (or two) of your favorite alcoholic beverage. From savory full-bodied reds to crisp bubbly whites, wine is a Valentine’s day necessity and it’s been used to symbolize love and romance for centuries. This year, we’ve put together a list of the 9 best wines for Valentine’s Day to help you impress your Valentine’s Day date.
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Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is a sweet and silky red wine making it the most popular light-bodied red wine in the world. If you ever order a bottle of Pinot Noir at a restaurant, make sure to pair it with soft cheeses and charcuterie or alongside duck or pork for a match made in heaven. On top of its juicy ripened fruit flavor, this wine is also known to be an aphrodisiac making it number one on our list of romantic wines to impress your Valentine.
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Port Wine
If you’re looking for a luxurious and impressive wine to impress your Valentine, try ordering a bottle of aged Port wine. This intense Portuguese wine has a rich history and is commonly served during the end of dinner or during dessert. There are two main types of red Port wine, Tawny and Ruby. Ruby Port is known for being younger and sweeter, and pairs deliciously with berries and dark chocolate. Tawny Port is well-aged and matured for 10 to 30 years in oak barrels which allows it to develop a complex nutty flavor. Because of its savory and rich flavor, Tawny Port is best paired with salty, dry cheeses such as Parmigianino Reggiano and Pecorino. Both of these wines can be on the pricey side, but the luxurious, rich flavor of a good Port is definitely worth it.
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Champagne
Who doesn’t love popping the cork and sharing a sparkling glass of champagne with your Valentine? This bubbly French wine is famously used for celebrating love and romance, making it the perfect wine to celebrate you and your Valentine. Champagne is crisp, sweet, and airy, allowing it to be paired with buttery dishes like shrimp scampi and scallops draped in a lemon caper sauce. Bring on the fun, romance, and the bubbles when you share a bottle of Champagne with your Valentine.
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Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon blanc is one of the most well-known and loved white wines in the world. It was originally made from indigenous green grapes from Southwest France but is now commonly grown in vineyards all across the California coast, New Zealand, and Chile. This smooth and aromatic white wine contains flowery notes of lime, passionfruit, and freshly cut grass. It’s the perfect wine to pair with delicate fish, oysters, and light vinaigrettes.
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Bordeaux
The French don’t only speak the language of love, they know how to bottle it up and drink it too. Hailing from the region of Southwest France, this dry and savory red wine is sure to get you and your loved one in the mood. Bordeaux’s primarily carry the flavor of dark fruit such as cherries and plums and can have savory notes of coffee, licorice and even graphite. Ripe, full-bodied Bordeaux’s pair beautifully with red meats such as grilled steak or roasted lamb, while lighter more inexpensive bottles pair great with hard cheeses like cheddar and gouda. If you’re looking for a rich and flavorful red wine to pair with a savory meal, this one is guaranteed to impress your valentine.
- Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is a luscious blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot making it refreshing and easy to drink. This mouthwatering red wine is full-bodied and carries herbaceous flavors like peppers and tobacco making it a perfect wine to pair with game, poultry, and hearty fish dishes. Whether you’re cooking a romantic meal at home or going out for a night on the town, Cabernet Franc is the ultimate food pairing wine.
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Prosecco
Not to be confused with Champagne, Prosecco is a sparkling white wine from Italy that has strong notes of green apple, honeysuckle, and melon. Because of its dry, sweet flavor and bubbles, prosecco is often paired with flavor-intense foods like spicy Asian entrees, creamy pasta sauces, and cheese stuffed anything. Not only is this sparkling white wine extremely forgiving when it comes to food pairing, but you can also mix it with orange juice to make perfect mimosas to impress your valentine the next day.
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Rosé
You’ve already got your Valentine roses, so why not get them a bottle of Rosé too? These past few years, Rosé has soared in popularity because of its light summery feel, making it a perfect sipping wine while on a date at the park or at your local rooftop bar. This wine is well-known for its pale-pink color and flowery, fruity flavor making it best paired with light salads and shellfish. If you’re not a fan of dry and bitter red wines, a bottle of Rosé is a sweet and smooth option that is sure to impress your date.
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Chardonnay
A nice bottle of Chardonnay is one of the ultimate Valentine’s day wines. Its full-bodied yet complex tropical flavor carries a smooth aroma of vanilla, caramel, and butter. This harmony of flavor is caused by years of aging in oak barrels making this Chardonnay wine one of our favorites. It pairs beautifully with herbs like parsley, tarragon and lemon zest alongside flakey fish like sea bass and halibut. If you’re a white wine enthusiast, chardonnay should be your go-to order when sharing a bottle with your Valentine.
If you’re interested in the history on some of these wine, check out this article on wine history that we wrote.
