Valentines Day Wines: Sweet Lovin'

So Valentines day is coming up, & since this'll be the few minutes I spend thinking about it (boo hoo :'( ) I'll drop some knowledge:

For a lovely lady, something more intimate than a night out and the ubiquitous rose bouquet is needed. After a nice evening, settle down to enjoy each other's company in a warm, candle-lit setting.

For a holiday centered around sweets (& sweethearts), Champagne won't do. You'll definately want to pair those gourmet chocolates with a complementary libation.

One option, especially perfect for white "chocolate", is a sweet lambic-style beer. These fruit infused versions offer a delicate sweetness that plays off of unctuously sweet white "chocolate". A readily available producer, Lindemans crafts various sweet lambics, with prettied, romantic labels. For this occasion, I recommend the Lindemans Framboise (their elegant, Raspberry infused lambic). (<$10).

For milk chocolates, go with a deep crimson, dark-fruited Port-styled wine. From Portugal, the Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Porto's are perfect for the occasion. They present a rich sweetness that will sing harmoniously with milk chocolate, or <80% dark chocolate. This classic pairing is also a great value, as you get the richness of a Vintage Porto, at a fraction of the price. Seek out a 2003 LBV, being from a great vintage it certainly wont disappoint. I highly recommend the Quinta do Noval LBV 2003 Porto.(<$25*).

For seriously dark chocolate with a touch of bitterness, seek out a Tawny Port-styled wine. The intentionally oxidized style presents a sweet wine with a bit of earthy, nutty flavor... a perfect foil to the delicious bitterness of the dark chocolate. Since worthwhile Tawnies from Portugal can get pricey, I recommend an Australian Port (notice the lack of the "o" at the end of "Port", denoting the wines origin as outside of Portugal). The Chateau Reynella Old Cave Tawny Port is an amazing Tawny, sure to please with its subtle raisin and carmelized pecan notes. (<$20**).

If these sweet libations aren't enough for the Mademoiselle's sweet-tooth... well, that's where you, & your Luxe, come in.

Happy Valentine's Day!

(P.s. Ladies: For the meaningful gentleman in your lives, a nice char-grilled rib-eye, Single Malt Scotch (Speyside), Dark Chocolate, and a foot rub = the perfect Valentine's Day.)

*Half-Bottles (12.25oz.) of LBV Porto's are available & are more than enought for two at 20% ABV.

**The delicate, worthwhile 20+ year-old Tawny Portos of Portugal, are amazing pairings for Dark Chocolate as well. ($45-$70)