Valentine Wines

Say it with pink bubbles. Tastes better than flowers, looks better than chocolates, smells better than a card!

The best bang-for-the-buck pink bubbly in the world today is Graham Beck Brut Rose. This delicious South African blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes has the classic aroma of raspberry and strawberry in concert with fruit flavors in a dry gorgeous pink wine. The richness of the wine as it coats the inside of your mouth is rare and only found in the most expensive French Rose Champagnes, but if you can find, and this is the tough part, the Graham Beck, expect to spend around $20.

Great bubblies at any price have one thing in common. They taste like great wines that just happen to have bubbles. Most sparkling wines taste and feel like club soda with some wine flavor added. If you have never had a great Champagne, the Graham Beck will give you the quality and save you about $100 a bottle. Yeah, it's that good. And although Graham Beck makes two other bubblies in the more classic white style and they are delicious, it's the Rose you want for Valentine's Day. Serve chilled, but not with chocolates. And I am not a big strawberries with bubbly fan either. But that's another day's rant.

Not with chocolates?! Yup. Ignore those movies and TV shows showing how romantic Champagne and Chocolate are, they go together like a Hollywood romance. Both great separately, but marry them up, and no chemistry. A quick look at chemistry gives us the reason. The yeast and acid of wine do not help nor balance the sweetness and power of flavor of chocolate. The best wines with chocolate are those luscious sweet Ports, Sherries and Aussie dessert wines. My best value pick is the Delaforce Curious and Ancient 20 year old Tawny Port around $40 a bottle. The nicest thing about Port is it keeps for a few weeks after opening. It also is around 20% alcohol so be careful. It is sweet and nutty and yummy. Serve it at room temperature in small stemware glasses. 20 years on the label indicates that the wine did spend 20 years in a wood barrel to smooth it out and add some nice nutty flavor from the wood as well as the tawny-brown color. It also is wonderful with a cigar that my wife has me smoke outside no matter what the weather is.