(VIDEO) Romantic Red Wines for Valentine's Day on WPTV
If you're looking for the perfect wines to set the mood for l'amour this Valentine's Day, check out my latest appearance on WPTV featuring my favorite Romantic Red Wines for Valentine's Day. In addition to the wine selections, I also explain the two reasons why red wines posses more aphrodisiac qualities than white wines and are naturally better for setting the mood for love.
The fabulous John Favole also asks some great questions about food pairings for these delicious wines so please check out the video below as well as the show notes below the video for all the details (and links to the food pairing recipes!).
I hope you find my Romantic Red Wines for Valentine's Day recommendations helpful! Please see below for a list of all the wines featured in this episode as well as links to recipes.
1.) Moët & Chandon Rosé Impérial, Champagne, France, NV ($50):
This year's “Living Ties” Limited Edition bottle features beautiful black ties that represent the ties that bind together soulmates, family + friendships.
Made predominantly from the Pinot Noir grape, this beautiful pink Champagne gets its glorious color from the addition of 10% still red wine.
Enjoy this wine in a white wine glass (not a flute!) to fully appreciate the delightful aromas and flavors of the wine!
This delightful rosé Champagne has enticing notes of strawberries, raspberries, red currants, peach and a subtle note of spice and finished with a delightful crisp, dry finish!
2.) Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Merlot, Napa, California ($65):
Merlot is the perfect grape for Valentine's Day! It’s all about luscious, voluptuous ripe dark fruit like black cherry, blackberry and plum with an opulent, full-body.
Originally from France's Bordeaux wine region, Merlot gets hedonistically ripe in the warmer climates of California's Napa Valley.
This wine from the well-known Cakebread Cellars is a blend of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. It displays fragrant aromas of ripe black cherry, black currant and violet. It has rich, concentrated flavors of ripe blackberry, plum, black cherry and spice that fill the lush palate, framed by fine-grained tannins, culminating in a long finish.
3.) Guigal Chateau de Nalys Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone, France ($99):
Chateauneuf-du-pape produces delicious red wines from France’s Southern Rhone Valley. These wines are red blends that are predominantly based on the Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre grapes although 13 grapes can legally be used.
This elegant, full-bodied stunner is crafted primarily from the estate's Old Vine Grenache with a dollop of Syrah, Mourvedre, Counoise and Vacarese which combine to create a rich, luxurious red wine.
This wine is full-bodied and velvety, with a lovely minerality and notes of dark cherry fruit, vanilla and sandalwood. Layers of spices including cinnamon, clove, licorice and allspice add depth of flavor and interest to the silky finish.
4.) Taylor Fladgate Late Bottled Vintage Port, Douro, Portugal ($30):
This is the most luscious of our featured wines and the most perfect for pairing with chocolate!
Port is a fortified wine (read this for more info) which means the wine has a higher alcohol content (approx 20%) and it is also lusciously sweet!
Unlike vintage Ports, Late Bottled Vintage Ports are bottled after 4-6 years in wood, giving them some of the characteristics of vintage Port but with less time required for bottle aging.
This wine has powerful, mouth-filling notes of dark cherry, ripe black fruit and chocolate with beautiful depth and complexity and a lengthy, spice-tinged finish.
Looking for romantic Valentine's Day dinner recipes for two? Check out these Fabulous Food Pairings:
This recipe for succulent Mustard Roasted Fish would be delicious paired with the Moët & Chandon Rosé Impérial Champagne!
Steak au Poivre à Deux with Roasted Rosemary Garlic Potatoes is perfect for pairing with the Cakebread Cellars Merlot or the Chateau de Nalys Chateauneuf-du-Pape!
Hoffman's DELIGHTFUL chocolates are perfect for pairing with the luscious Taylor Fladgate Port. For more detailed information on which chocolates pair best, please check out this video - OH the DECADENCE!!!
I hope you enjoy these Romantic Red Wines for Valentine's Day and I'd love to hear which wines are your favorites. If you enjoyed this video, please click here subscribe to my YouTube channel and/or click here to add your name to my weekly newsletter list. And most importantly, I hope you have a very Happy Valentine's Day!