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12 Most Romantic Wines
February is here and romance is in the air; be it contrived and commercial or spontaneous and genuine! One of the things I love most about wine is how memories of wine can take you back to a time, a place, a person, or all of the above.
Here are my suggestions for evocatively romantic wines. There’s something for everyone with suggestions for bubbly, white, red, and dessert wines.
Bubbly
1. Gosset “Grand Reserve” Brut Champagne
Champagne and romance go hand in hand. This is an effusive, complex and exotic Champagne made with the traditional mix of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, from two reserve vintages that contain a bit of Pinot Gris, Petit Meslier, and Arbanne, the latter two almost extinct grapes. It has stone fruit and brioche aromas with a long finish. While it’s great for toasting, it would also be a nice match for lighter fare like a salmon dinner.
2. 2008 Schramsberg Brut Rose
This sparkler from Napa Valley is a comely salmon color with a refined effervescence. It’s well balanced with aromas, and flavors of strawberries and cherries. This is a versatile sparkler that will add to the memories of that special home-cooked meal!
3. Rosa Regale
This is an off-dry slightly sweet sparkler from Brachetto D’Aqui (Piedmont) region of Italy. It appeals to the eye, and the palate with its gorgeous ruby color and aromas of roses and strawberries. It has a softer effervescence than typical sparkling wine. Not only will it shine as an aperitif, it could work throughout a meal including dessert, especially if that dessert is fruit-based like a raspberry tart, or chocolate dipped strawberries. I even enjoyed it with a chocolate truffle tart.
White
4. 2010 Merry Edwards Russian River Sauvignon Blanc
This is an opulent and stylish Sauvignon Blanc with enticing floral, melon, and stone-fruit aromas. In the mouth it’s rich, and well balanced with stone-fruit, grapefruit, and citrus flavors. King Crab legs anyone?
5. 2009 Kistler Sonoma Mountain Chardonnay
This is a sublime full-bodied, but balanced Chardonnay that offers rich buttery-toasty brioche, stone fruit and subtle white flower aromas with peach and nectarine flavors, and a lingering finish.
6. Chateau Ste. Michelle Eroica
This is an alluring Riesling named for Beethoven’s Third Symphony. The wine is a collaboration between two of the world’s great Riesling producers, the Dr. Loosen estate from the Old World (Germany), and Chateau Ste Michelle of Washington State, from the New World. Sommeliers love this wine, and you will too, especially when paired with spicy fare.
Red
7. 2007 O’Brien Estate Seduction
This Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot exudes romance. It’s complex, and refined, yet powerful with aromas redolent of ripe dark fruits like plums and black cherries along with spices and interesting mocha notes.
8. 2009 Walter Hansel “South Slope Vineyard” Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir as has been described as “the most romantic of wines, with so voluptuous a perfume, so sweet an edge, and so powerful a punch that, like falling in love, they make the blood run hot and the soul wax embarrassingly poetic.” Sounds like romance to me!
This is a voluptuous intense Pinot with aromatic black cherry, raspberry, and rose petal aromas. On the palate it’s creamy and well balanced with juicy dark black cherry and raspberry flavors and a long finish.
9. 2009 Turley Mead Ranch Zinfandel
This is a cool climate Zinfandel produced with grapes from a high elevation site on Atlas Peak in Napa Valley. It’s hedonistically creamy with ripe plum, and blackberry flavors, and a lingering finish. Zinfandels this good are irresistible — give in to your desire!
Dessert
10. 2001 Hétszölö Tokaji Aszu 6 Puttonyos
Tokaji is a legendary sweet wine produced in Hungary. How’s this for romance trivia? It’s believed that it was Tokaji that Hitler, and his bride Eva Braun consumed to celebrate their marriage in the bunker shortly before their deaths.
This is a decadent dessert wine. It’s a golden yellow color with vivid aromas of apricot and orange peel. On the palate, it’s viscous, and balanced with a harmonious streak of acidity, with intense apricot and orange flavors, a hint of minerality, and a long finish. Pair with caramelized desserts.
11. Rosenblum Cellars Desiree
This is a luscious blend of Zinfandel, Touriga Nacional, and Syrah fortified with Brandy, and infused with a bit of chocolate. It comes in a 375ml bottle and weighs in at 18% alcohol. The bottle has a lascivious red label, and of course, the name suggests desire. You’ll be enticed by the aromatic dark plum, and chocolate aromas, that flood your palate with sweet dark fruits and chocolate. Pair with that box of truffles, or drink by itself — if you dare.
12. Graham’s 20 Year Old Tawny Port
Port is always a sweet treat. This one is a dark orange color with a red hue and mildly nutty, caramel, roast coffee aromas that cut to cherry, and toffee flavors. Pair with milk chocolate, crème brulee, or blue cheese. Retails for around $50.
Looking to make it extra special? Get a bottle of Port from the vintage that marks an anniversary, birthday, or other special occasion! Look for top producers like Dow, Fonseca, Warre, Taylor and Graham’s.
I leave you with this French proverb… “In water one sees one’s own face; but in wine one beholds the heart of another.” Cheers and happy romancing!
Featured image courtesy of SonOfJordan via Creative Commons.
Martin Redmond
Martin is a finance professional by day, and wine lover, traveler, and a wine-drinking fool the rest of the time. He likes to get thoughts of wine off his mind by sharing experiences through his ENOFYLZ Wine blog
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The dessert's origins are considered a "mystery" according to the gastronomic journal, Saveur; however, the dominant story is that Francis Coulson developed and served this dessert at his Sharrow Bay Country House Hotel in the Lake District in 1960. Coulson's former protégé and chef, Juan Martin, has said that according to Coulson, the original concept for the dessert was derived from the South of England
Do not forget this all year favorite in the "red" section: a good Saint-Amour. The name says it all. Saint Amour is a small village in Southern Burgundy, and one of the 10 crus of Beaujolais. . Production is uneven but you never go wrong with those from Laurent Perrachon or Michel Tête. The Saint Amour is lighter than the Morgons or Moulins à Vent, fruity but deep. 2009 was a great year.
@Michel Philippart Thanks Michel. That's a great idea! I very much enjoyed a few Morgons from the 2009 vintage. I'll look for it. How was the 2010 vintage for Cru Beaujolais?
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Hi Brian...thanks for the comment. In terms of chocolate and wine, if you're pairing to Cab, Tempranillo, or Syrah, it's probably dark chocolate, and port will work very nicely with that! #11 is a fun to try! The nice thing about Port is that once you open a bottle it'll last for a long time, unlike the reds...
BTW, in terms of Cor.kz, you're correct in that there is no way to sort by price when searching for wines. But there is a "compare" feature that enable you to price compare multiple wines you've selected. It would be great though to be able to be a search for "Napa Valley Cab under $20", then sort by rating
Love #6, Martin. I need to make note of the Reds, and still need to find the best setting for enjoying a good port. We do wine & chocolate once/week, but we always go for a Red versus dessert wine.
And yes, our Red tastes still tend to the Cabs, Tempranillos, and Shiraz/Syrah
What a list!! I've had several here, but I must try #3, #5 & #9!
It's true what you said about memories of a wine.... but, is it the memory that makes the wine better, or the wine that makes the memory stand out? Either way, we do reach for a special bottle of wine when we are with our loved one and this list has some very special wines!
Cheers & Happy Valentines day to you!
@WineEveryday Thanks Eileen! I hope you had a great V-Day! Great question! I think the occasion makes the wine better! For me, a great memory is enhanced by a great bottle(or two;-) of wine. Let me know what you think when you try the wines!
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