Valentines day Selection

On an evening for two, a single bottle often has to please two different palates: one of you swears by red, the other leans toward bubbles or white. Rather than picking for one of you, look for a wine that sits between your tastes. A few styles make easy common ground, and serving does the rest.

Red on One Side, Bubbles on the Other: Finding Common Ground

Rosé Champagne is often the first compromise: it keeps the bubbles for one of you and gives the other more red fruit than a white Champagne usually shows. A Crémant rosé follows the same logic.

Still rosé opens another route. If the red lover needs to feel at home, pick one with some color and fruit; a very pale, crisper rosé will speak more to the bubbles fan.

Consider a Blanc de Noirs Champagne too, made from black grapes. It often has more body than a Blanc de Blancs and wins over red drinkers more easily.

Not sure yet? Think about what your partner orders at a restaurant or opens at home: that is often the surest clue.

A Sweet Wine to End the Evening

At the end of the evening, a sweet wine can bring both palates together, especially if one of you finds dry wines a little austere. On a still wine, the sugar term on the label is usually optional.

When it appears, it follows EU rules: moelleux (medium sweet) above medium dry and up to 45 g of sugar per liter, doux (sweet) from 45 g. It tells you, before you open the bottle, how sweet the wine will be.

A medium-sweet wine is often light enough to sip on its own, just the two of you; a sweet wine, richer, calls for small pours. Either way, serve it cool but not icy: it will feel less heavy without losing its aromas. Save it for last: after a sweet wine, a dry one tastes harsher.

Between dry and medium sweet, a medium-dry white, just slightly sweet, can carry the whole evening: it reassures the one who likes a little sweetness without tiring the other.

Serving Each Bottle at the Right Chill

Bubbles should be well chilled. A bucket filled with water and ice cools the bottle faster than the fridge, and keeps it cold at the table all evening.

Light reds, low in tannin and fruity, are happiest just cool: a short spell in the fridge before you open them is enough. That touch of coolness lifts their fruit and often wins over a white wine drinker. A fuller red is served less chilled.

Pour small amounts at a time: the wine stays at the right temperature in the glass, especially the bubbles.

Tastes, Strength and Sweetness: Your Valentine's Day Wine Questions

What wine should you choose for Valentine's Day when one of you likes red and the other white?

For Valentine's Day, when one of you likes red and the other prefers white, choose a wine that bridges the gap. A light red with little tannin, served slightly chilled, often pleases a white wine fan, while a round, full white aged on its lees tends to win over a red wine lover.

What wine makes a good gift for the anniversary of the day you met?

For the anniversary of the day you met, give a bottle that brings back that first evening. A wine from the region where you met, or the style you shared that day, keeps the memory alive. A vintage from the year you met makes sense for a wine built to age, provided it has been well stored.

What wine should you pick for Valentine's Day when one of you prefers lower-alcohol wines?

For Valentine's Day, when one of you prefers lower-alcohol wines, check the alcohol percentage, which every EU wine label must show. A crisp white, a light red or a sparkling wine often shows less alcohol than a big, sun-ripened red.

Brut or demi-sec: which Champagne suits someone who prefers softer bubbles?

For someone who prefers softer bubbles, a demi-sec Champagne is a better fit than a brut. Under EU rules, brut has less than 12 g of sugar per liter, while demi-sec (medium dry) has 32 to 50 g. In-between terms such as extra dry (12 to 17 g) offer a middle ground.

Where can you buy Valentine's Day wine direct from the winemaker?

You can buy Valentine's Day wine direct from the winemaker on Avenue des Vins. Each order is prepared and sent by the producer, not from a warehouse.

See also: Wines for gifts - Gift boxes - Exceptional champagnes and sparkling wines