Choose some wine for your Valentine!

Posted Tue, Feb 06, 2007, 1:19 pm PST

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We confess that here at Girl Meets Grape, we shamelessly espouse the art of indulgence. Below are some favorite libations to consider for Valentine's -- what better time to break the bank a bit, when the pay-off is a lot more fun than at other gift-giving occasions? Wine is inherently sensual, as it's all about aromas and texture; just as your lover's signature scent or familiar skin can be transportive, so too can an amazing bottle of wine become a passport to another time and place. Russell Stover's candies from Rite Aid with a bottle of Yellow Tail shiraz might equal affordable fun, but it ain't going to make for true love, ya'll. Raise the stakes.

By the way, no sweetie to spoil this year? Spoil yourself! Repeat after me: I deserve a good glass of wine, or two or three, depending on your romantic mindset around February 14th. But if you do kick that whole bottle, remember that room-temperature water -- three full pint glasses of it before bedtime with a two Advil chaser -- is your new best Valentine's friend. Or so I hear... :)

Chateau Calon-Ségur, Saint-Estèphe (Bordeaux, France)

From the Left Bank commune of St.-Estèphe in Bordeaux comes this legendary bottle of cabernet sauvignon-based wine. This is serious wine worth cellaring and saving for a few years, so look for a more recent vintage to stash away or buy a highly rated vintage from years gone by to enjoy more immediately.

Côtes-du-Rhône, "Mon Coeur," J.L. Chave (Rhône Valley, France)

Made by the Rhône legend Jean-Louis Chave, this is traditionally a blend of classic grapes like syrah, grenache, and mourvèdre. It's rich and earthy, with notes of bacon and spice that will complement a variety of Valentine's dinner ideas from lamb chops to steak with peppercorn sauce.

Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru, "Les Amoureuses," Joseph Drouhin (Burgundy, France)

Oh, how I love this "lovers" pinot noir, from one of my favorite little vineyards in Burgundy's Côte de Nuits. Chambolle wines tend to be all about delicacy and femininity, so this is a style of pinot noir that has lots of soft, silky textures with subtle notes of cherry, anise, and green herbs.

Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé, Champagne (Mareuil-sur-Ay, France)

If you're not familiar with this Champagne house, you're missing out! Too many Americans buy only the most recognizable Champagnes with big names like Moët's Dom Pérignon or Roederer's Cristal. If I had to pick a favorite producer for myself, then Billecart would be right near the top of the list. This non-vintage brut rosé will have your tastebuds singing.

Brachetto d'Acqui, "Rose Regale," Castello di Banfi (Piedmont, Italy)

I am convinced that this may be the one universally delicious wine product that appeals to every human on Earth. While Brachetto's bubbles aren't as well known as its Italian counterparts like prosecco or moscato sparklers, this bottling from Banfi might well change that. I frequently give this as a gift, and have received rave reviews time and time again.

Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur

Okay, so it's not technically wine, but this Godiva concoction paired with a simple bowl of ripe strawberries is a recipe for runaway Valentine's success. It may well be the liquid form of sin, and is well worth the calories if you're looking to skip dinner altogether, have a symbolic dessert of sorts, and get on to the real business of Valentine's!

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31 Comments

1. Posted by Kimberly C on Tue, Feb 06, 2007, 4:45 pm PST

I tried Banfi Rosa Regale at dinner a few weeks ago. I loved it and have since bought a bottle. One sip and you will be hooked.
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2. Posted by s2_rob on Mon, Feb 12, 2007, 11:56 am PST

Bonnie, I just noticed on your most recent blog that you gave prices for the wine. It would be great that when you talk about a wine if you could indicate a price and source (ie: web site or specific wine stores). Love your blog.... I'm learning a lot and enjoying wine much more
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3. Posted by lazzroni@sbcglobal.net on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 11:38 am PST

What an infantile selection........... you have not even mentioned great wines like "Brunello di Montalcino", or "Amarone", or other superb Italian wines. But I guess you're too stuck on that French stuff that you could not even see past that. I am surprised they allow you to give advice on wines on Yahoo. Pick something else.
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4. Posted by Eve N on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 11:57 am PST

I love that Godiva stuff- makes the best white chocolate martinis! Ohhh I'm so getting that for my date tonight!
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5. Posted by swtpjgirl on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 12:11 pm PST

I see you're speaking more of the wines, I wanted to get a bottle of champange, do you guys recommend anyhting good. I will be celebrating this weekend for Valentine's Day. Thanks
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6. Posted by Lee Lee on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 12:25 pm PST

Hello, if you are reading these comments as i just did, please note that lazzroni is a biased jerk. "infantile selection," maybe he/she just had a bad childhood....... Never the less, wine and spirit selection is vast and ultimately a matter of opinion. I think your selections are as beautiful as your picture and I plan on purchasing the Rose Regale tonight for me and my girlfriend. Thanks for the advice. Happy Valentines.
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7. Posted by pcquinn1 on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 12:29 pm PST

A true lover of wine and women would pick Perrier-Joulet Flower Rose' for a Valentines toast.
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8. Posted by kdmascot on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 12:46 pm PST

The Rosa Regale is great for the price!
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9. Posted by Jenhoven on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 1:00 pm PST

Definitely TOO stuck on the French stuff...there are some BEAUTIFUL Napa wines out there and I'm very surprised none were mentioned! Highly affordable, Crane's Lake is my favorite...AND, you don't have to wait YEARS to drink it! After all, Valentine's day IS today! Sigh!
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10. Posted by clasurf on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 1:07 pm PST

I was expection a more diverse selection. Wines comes from different regions in the world not only France or Italy. Great selection of French but there not the only good. For next year try to consider Chile, Argentica, Italy, Spain, Brazil and others
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11. Posted by Bonnie Graves on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 2:30 pm PST

To Lazzroni and Lee Lee: Yikes - appreciate the spirited debate but let's recall it is Valentine's after all! Lazzroni, I could talk/type your ear off about Amarone, Brunello and two thousand other less obvious Italian wines but please bear in mind that this blog is meant for a specific type of Yahoo reader. You might enjoy some of my other, more technical writing - currently, I also work as Food and Wine Editor for a California magazine called "Luxury Life and Style," for example, which offers much more comprehensive information if you're interested. --BG PS - Do you know the trio of grapes in classic Amarone? Or how it's made? Will have to hit that as a separate entry.
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12. Posted by Bonnie Graves on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 2:33 pm PST

To s2_rob: I deliberately didn't put prices in this piece as they vary so widely from vintage to vintage and state to state. But for the record, the Bordeaux is $$$$, the Burgundy is $$$, the Billecart $$ and the others more like $. A good blog entry might be to better define pricing for the consumer - why are some wines worth those big sticker prices and others not? Thanks for the comment! --BG
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13. Posted by lazzroni@sbcglobal.net on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 2:48 pm PST

Lee Lee - you're using the adjective 'jerk' and then claim that perhaps I had a bad childhood. My comments regarding someone's wine selection were not directed at offending the person who made the wine selection; you are using offensive language. Keep it down. And before you make childish remarks about others people's childhood look at your own...... baby!
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14. Posted by Ian C on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 2:54 pm PST

Of course!! Another know-it-all wine personality that thinks all good wines come from Europe. People, again and again tastings prove that California wines are the best int he world. Instead of trying to find these obscure wines, look to the Napa Valley. Try Sawyer Cab Sav, Turnbull Black, Cakebread Cab Sav, Domain Carneros Sparkling Wines, and all of Stag's Leap reds. For whites how about a cool chardonnay from Rombauer or a nice Sav Blanc from Pineridge. Forget Piedmont and Bordeaux, look for Rutherford and Oakville and you will never be let down. Oh and for chocolate try Ghiradelli from San Fransico. Good drinking!!
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15. Posted by Michael on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 4:51 pm PST

Duckhoen Tres Palms is my best offer.
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16. Posted by Tao M on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 6:03 pm PST

tasting proves californian wines are the best.... HA!! a few good variaties yes but the best... def not. lazzroni - Chill man, dont get worked up, its a comments section bonnie - Interesting picks, may follow up on 1 or 2. Godiva sounds good, work it into a desert. First time to see yahoo wine reviews, will come back, probably avoid comments section though. lol
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17. Posted by Bonnie Graves on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 7:41 pm PST

To Ian C. - Hey, don't assume that I have a bias exclusively in favor of Europe, as I most definitely do not! We "know-it-alls" aren't out to instruct you what to drink, so good for you for being loyal to what you like. But to disregard Piedmont and Bordeaux entirely is to miss out on some seriously good juice. Cakebread remains a Napa favorite of mine, too, and they are great people who do a lovely tour up there. --BG PS - Pine Ridge makes a chenin blanc / viognier blend that is delicious, but they don't actually make a sauvignon blanc - just FYI.
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18. Posted by vws_vijay on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 11:43 pm PST

hi da how r u
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19. Posted by Karen F on Thu, Feb 15, 2007, 8:27 am PST

Hi, I am a novice wine person and was wondering the best plact to go to find some of these. I live in Dallas TX and I usually order my wine by the case from a few wineries in Napa. So I've never gone to the store to buy any wine. Any suggestions?
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20. Posted by Waltrude S on Thu, Feb 15, 2007, 8:28 am PST

No mention of white Zinfandel! I wonder why and it's inexpensive?
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21. Posted by tmtelmo on Thu, Feb 15, 2007, 9:31 am PST

How come there is no mention of the great Portuguese red wines here? So much for being a "wine connoisseur", some of the French wines are so overrated, blend in taste and not necessarily affordable... Try any Portuguese wine from either the Alentejo, Douro or Dao region, and then let me know why one would overpay for "french" wine. You might need a specialty liquor store but, they are way worth it... Brachetto d'Acqui, "Rose Regale," Castello di Banfi (Piedmont, Italy), is that the best italian selection you can come up with?? please, get out and do a bit more tasting!!! and don't forget our own wine country in Cali, great wines come from there too!!!
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22. Posted by MaGee on Thu, Feb 15, 2007, 9:50 am PST

Though there are wines from both Europe (especially a few Champagnes) and Australia that I truly enjoy, I am dissapointed that not one wine from California is recommended. The wines mentioned above seem to be geared towards making a social statement than anything else. In other words, "Look at me, I bought an import so I must be wordly and sophisticated." Of course, being a winemaker from Mendocino, I might be a bit biased.
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23. Posted by Hector on Thu, Feb 15, 2007, 10:41 am PST

I always find it funny how "passionate" people get when it comes to recommending or giving an opinion on wines. I for one do not know a great deal about wine, I'm only 24, but have been drinking it with dinner since about 7 years old. I know that I like reds, usually milder or fruitier flavors. And given my income, can only afford to purchase low priced wines. That doesn't mean I buy Sutter Home and Leaf Ridge though. Maybe next time, consider specifying categories when making recommendations for occasions such as these. Not everyone claims to know a great deal about wine and not everyone has the means to select a very fine wine. Salud!
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24. Posted by Ian C on Thu, Feb 15, 2007, 11:07 am PST

i meant chen blanc...but thanks for the feedback BG.
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25. Posted by Bonnie Graves on Thu, Feb 15, 2007, 11:26 pm PST

Guys, I appreciate the zeal but I can't possibly mention every wine from every country in one brief (edited) blog entry! I find it funny that folks assume I systematically disregard California wine based on a single Valentine's post. (let alone Oregon/WA wines!) What is telling in all these responses is that many of you assume European wines or those who enjoy them to be snobbish or elitist. I am curious as to why. I grew up in Jersey, in Bruce Springsteen land with nary a vine in sight, I now live in and love California, and yet I still manage to enjoy wines from around the world including those fancy Frenchie bottles on occasion. --BG To MaGee: Mendocino rocks. But you know this. To TmTelmo: I taste thousands of wines a year. Professionally and systematically. If you were selecting a widely available, affordable and crowd-pleasing Italian wine for a massive audience base like Yahoo, I am curious as to what you would choose. I wouldn't exactly pick an aged aglianico from Taurasi, but that's just me. And do you know anything about Banfi and their history? Your scorn for them implies you don't. Don't be a hater. And drink more wine, especially Jerry Luper's Portuguese reds if you want to really understand the future of Portugal's wine industry.
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26. Posted by Bonnie Graves on Thu, Feb 15, 2007, 11:27 pm PST

To Karen in Dallas: I don't know the retail wine scene in Dallas very well. Anyone out there have some suggestions for her - a small, passionate wine shop rather than a big chain or grocery store? Let us know. --BG
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27. Posted by Bonnie Graves on Thu, Feb 15, 2007, 11:31 pm PST

To locationsmann: Comparing Salon to Billecart isn't very fair, now is it? But I am a Krug head anyway. Harlan? You have $$$$ taste. The '94 Harlan remains the pinnacle of California cab for me personally. But not too many Yahoo foodies are likely to be able to get their hands on a bottle, so you see my quandary. Great comments, thx. --BG
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28. Posted by x m on Wed, Apr 11, 2007, 11:14 pm PDT

Yellow Tail is a great brand of wine. No the brand doesn't "impress", but I haven't met any woman who didn't like the taste of it.
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29. Posted by Rei-Rei on Wed, Jan 30, 2008, 9:54 am PST

I tried some Rose Regale at a recent wine tasting at my local grocery store and was hooked! I bought a bottle of my own. It is great. I love the hints of raspberry. It is sweet but not too sweet. And it's light enough to pair well with everything. I don't think there is anyone who wouldn't like this. Like the above guy. I have to defend yellow tail. There's nothing wrong with getting yellow tail and some russel stover chocolates! Better than nothing!
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30. Posted by cm_fern on Wed, Feb 13, 2008, 11:58 pm PST

The Billecart is my favorite non-vintage champagne. If you haven't tried it you should. It's a little tough to find but worth the search.
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