Tag Archives: Valentine’s Day

Wines for Valentines: Sweet Dreams are Made of These

Who am I to disagree?

Since we’re all staying home right now, Valentine’s Day is going to be, well, a lot quieter. It can still be a sweet day, and I’m all for opening a little bottle to enjoy. And who better to share it with than you? From a distance.

Each Valentine’s I look for bottles that have some fun label art for the holiday. The art can be sweet or sassy, with word ‘love’ or maybe some hearts. This year, most wine companies are keeping things very simple – which makes sense right now. I did manage to discover two that were close to the theme and moderately priced: Love Noir and Red Head Red Blend.

Check out the video below!

Love Noir Pinot Noir 2018– Jammy, with flavors of cherry, and a whisper of espresso, this Pinot has some velvety texture to it. Still a relatively young Pinot, it’s lighter in both color, body and mouthfeel. Aging in American Oak, gives it just a hint of vanilla. And less time in a newer barrel gives it a less smokey or oak-y vibe. Because it’s younger, decanting is important here to bring out all the flavors. Pinots by nature are delicate wines, so you don’t want to cellar them too long.

Recommended pairing: roast pork, chicken artichoke flatbread. I’d throw chocolate anything in the mix for dessert.💋

Price point: $15.99

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Red Head Red Blend – From L’uva Bella Winery in Lowellville, Ohio, this wine has flavors of bright cherry, blackberry, with a little tang of blueberry. This wine is a ruby color with good legs (meaning viscosity). First sip is a combo of sweet | tart which then settles into a spicy kiss on the finish. This combination makes it an interesting wine especially for those new to drinking red wine.

Again, decanting is important as this wine takes a little while for the flavors to unfold.

Pair it up with some assorted cheeses including spiced havarti and dark chocolate (with some spice) to bring out the heat.🔥

The $11.99 price point definitely makes it a great starter wine.

And I think they’ve changed their branding on this a little. It still has the cool art but it’s now just called ‘Red’.

Keeping things quiet is a good plan for Valentine’s Day this year. Open a bottle, gather your snacks and watch your favorite rom-com. And if you can’t be with all the ones you love, make sure to love the wine you’re with!♥️

Cheers!🍷💝💋

©️copyright 2021 TheWineStudent

Funky Cold Medina

We did it for love. And we did it for fun. It didn’t matter how cold it got, and it got very cold. HubbyDoug, our friend Shelly and I got suited up in our warmest winter wear, and ventured out to the 21st Annual Medina Ice Festival in Medina, OH. We wanted to check out the sculptures, and the speed ice carving competition. The artists had about 20 minutes to take an oblong shaped block to completed creation. It was amazing to watch them wield their chainsaws to create beautiful, icy artworks. We thought better of pulling a ‘Flick’ from Christmas Story, even though the photo op would’ve been awesome. Instead, we found a perfect warm place at Main Street Cafe, had dinner and let our extremities slowly thaw. The wine helped. I chose an interesting Pinotage from South Africa which paired really well with my Filet sliders. We finished the evening with a Cinna-Heart Martini, a quick stop at H2 Wine Merchants and toasted a fun prelude to Valentine’s weekend.

The Medina Ice Festival continues today, February 14, through Monday, February 16.

No matter how cold it may get where you are, I hope you are able to enjoy warmth in your heart from those you love.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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©TheWineStudent, 2015

Lovey Dovey

Will You Be Mine?

Will You Be Mine?

It’s been a busy week ~ what with Mardi Gras festivities and now Valentine’s Day. Chinese food is on the menu for our dinner tonight (I didn’t really feel like cooking). I have no idea whether the ’07 Villa Puccini Toscana is appropriate with egg rolls, won ton soup and sweet and sour chicken, and that’s okay. I’m just going to relax, enjoy the night with HubbyDoug, my girl, Andrea, and a fun meal together.

I wish you all a very Happy Valentine’s Day!

Cheers!

©TheWineStudent, 2013

Cupid’s Little Cupcake

'10 Cupcake Vineyards Red Velvet

'10 Cupcake Vineyards Red Velvet

“Where there is no wine there is no love” ~ Euripides

A wise man that Euripides, at least from my standpoint.  Liquor may be quicker but wine is… divine. It’s Valentine’s night and I wanted to celebrate with a wine that had a real chocolate vibe. I’ve had Chocovine and I liked it, but I wanted something that I could sip with my dinner and would not be so sweet, but would have the rich quality and depth that I associate with chocolate. I was turned on to a ’10 Cupcake Vineyards Red Velvet from California.

I opened it just before a dinner of garlic buttered shrimp with savoury vegetables and rice, sipping as I put the finishing touches on the meal. The Cupcake wine looked very glossy and smooth on the pour and had  an earthy, almost caramel chocolate on the nose. The quick, top taste was of vinyl shower curtain (yep), not that I’ve tasted many shower curtains, but that’s what came to mind. My friend, Terri, added that the shower curtain was “clean and algae free” which gives you more of a visual than you’d probably ever want :). According to the wine aroma wheel,  a vinyl/petroleum taste is legitimate and it doesn’t mean that anything is wrong with the wine.  That said, what I found particularly intrigung about this wine was that the predominant chocolate vibe on the finish lingered with me well after the sip was gone. It was nice.  Many wines I’ve had don’t have this kind of intensity and length.  What was particularly impressive was that it started out light and continued to grow richer in the glass, sip after sip.

For dessert, when I paired it with a dark chocolate  bar with sea salt and caramel, and it grew even more complex in depth and playfulness. A nice finish indeed.

I like to have fun with wine and this one was a great compliment to a lovely Valentine’s dinner.

I wish you all a very happy Valentine’s.  And if  you can’t wine with the one you love, then love the wine you’re with.

Cheers!