Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, is quickly approaching, and with it, expectations, such as having a nice meal, whether at home (due to COVID), or out at a restaurant. Wine is always appreciated with a meal. Some wines though are viewed more on the romantic side. I have a few wines for you that I think would be very nice to sip on Valentine’s Day. Some I tasted this week and a few others tasted over the last 6 months, so all should be readily available at a wine shop, the winery (BC), or a BC Liquor Store.
Sparkling Wine
Evolve Cellars Effervescence NV, BC (BC $21.99) – A blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Blanc. – A very tasty and accessible sparkling wine. Pears and crisp apple aromas follow to the palate. Open and enjoy. 
Evolve Cellars Pink Effervescence NV, BC (BC $21.99) – A blend of 70% Chardonnay and 28% Pinot Blanc and 2% Syrah. A fun sparkling rose wine that offers fresh aromas of strawberries and crisp apple. Off-dry with medium-sized creamy bubbles. Tart red cherries and crisp apple flavours.
One Faith Vineyards Fizz 2020, BC ($21.99) – A sparkling with a medium-minus bright lemon colour. A medium intensity nose, quite nice aromas of tropical fruit, plus ripe stonefruit and baby powder. Off-dry with small crisp bubbles. Crisp tart apple flavour then add sweet stone fruits. A dry tart finish. Medium-minus body.
I still have these BC sparkling wines to review, but know that they will be a quality choice for Valentine’s Day, based on past experience:
- TIME Family of Wines Chronos Brut
- TIME Family of Wines Brut
- TIME Family of Wines McWatters Collection 2017 Brut
White Wine
Aasha Wines Palolem Chardonnay 2018, BC (BC $30) – Medium-plus bright lemon colour. Medium-plus deeper aromas of ripe pineapple and apple, with lesser amounts of lees, butterscotch, and pears. Medium-plus body, dry, buttery and round with a pleasant acidic prickle. Pineapple and apples with light butterscotch, lemon, pears, sweet spices and oak on the palate. An elegant wine. 
TIME Family of Wines Chronos Sauvignon Blanc 2020, BC (BC $27.99) – This is a wine to consider if you will be having seafood for dinner. Mixed aromas of bramble leaf (or nettles), green fruit, pineapple and touches of honey and stonefruit. Dryish, soft, round and smooth mouthfeel. soft fruit flavours; stone fruit, green fruit, grapefruit pith and bramble leaf (or nettles).
Seaside Pearl Farmgate Winery Fraser Gold Unoaked Chardonnay 2018 (BC $27) – Lighter aromas of ripe pears and pineapple upon opening. A round, thicker mouthfeel. More pears and pineapple and less citrus, plus a touch of pepperiness and grape stem tannins.
Rosé Wine
Moraine Winery Pink Mountain 2021, BC (BC $27) – is a blend of 73% Pinot Noir and 27% Grenache Noir. A fun Rosé wine to sip. A very pretty pale strawberry colour. Medium-plus intensity nose with bright and fresh aromas of wild strawberries and rhubarb, plus spearmint with air. Off-dry with a thicker round mouthfeel and lighter acidic prickle on your tongue. Strawberries and rhubarb to start then add zesty lime and guava. Spearmint with some swirling. A medium-length finishing off-dry with strawberry, rhubarb and guava flavours. Very light tannins. Some light pepperiness with decanting. 
Red Wine
Gérard Bertrand Côte des Roses Pinot Noir 2019, France (BC $25.99) – A crushable Pinot Noir. A darker translucent garnet colour. Red berries, raspberries and brambleberry aromas along with a hint of nutmeg. Very silky smooth and round. Red berries, raspberries and bramble berries along with a touch of candied red cherries and cinnamon on the palate. Lightly drying tannins.
Gérard Bertrand An 806 AOP Corbieres 2017, France – I don’t normally pick a bigger GSM wine for Valentine’s Day, but this one is special with the Syrah grapes undergoing carbonic maceration. This wine is lighter-bodied and has juicy flavours. An opaque garnet colour. Lighter bodied but dry and soft. Blackberries and other black fruits, plums, floral and some sweet spices. Medium-plus length finishing dry with light black fruit, plums and sweet spice flavours.
Moraine Winery Naramata Bench Pinot Noir 2020, BC (BC $30) – A deeper clear garnet colour. A lighter intensity nose with cinnamon, raspberries, red cherries and a hint of oak. If you decant you will get deeper aromas, cassis, plus hints of floral and vanilla. This wine is soft and silky, medium-bodied with medium-plus flavours of red fruits, raspberries, red and candied red cherries, red liquorice, floral and a touch of oak. Sweet spices toward the finish. Medium intensity drying tannins and medium acidity. Decanting will move the flavours more to darker fruit and less candied cherries.
Aasha Wines Two Nights Pinot Noir 2017, BC (BC $37) – Pale translucent garnet colour. A medium intensity nose with toast, red fruits, nutmeg, vanilla and a touch of floral with air. Dry to slightly off-dry, round with very subtle tannins and acidity. Red fruits, floral and raspberry flavours with touches of red cherries, oak, and sweet spices. Some sweet red fruit and black pepper on the finish.
Dessert Wine
Burrowing Owl Estate Winery Coruja NV, BC (BC $45) – This dessert port-style wine was first made in 2008 (first bottling 2011) with each subsequent year added to the initial wine, so you are getting a fraction of each vintage. Reminds me of the solera method for Sherry. This wine is opaque garnet in colour. Ripe dried fruits aromas along with dark berries, and touches of chocolate and vanilla. Thicker, soft and rich with medium sweetness. Red and black cherry flavours with a touch of chocolate and pepperiness toward the finish. Very fine tannins. Superb.
Taylor Fladgate First Estate Reserve Port, Portugal (BC $22.99) – An almost opaque ruby colour in the glass. A nice ripe black fruit and blackberries on the nose and palate. A medium body and medium sweetness. Balanced acidity with fruit and sweetness. Light tannic structure. A ripe black fruit finish together with some pepperiness.
A Few Dishes for Valentine’s Day
A rack of lamb or duck breast is always nice for a main course paired with any of the red wines I’ve listed. If you want to keep with seafood, salmon is always sexy with its beautiful colour. Serve either steamed, baked, or grilled, one of the white, rosé, or sparkling wines would pair nicely. If salmon is too boring, why not try panfried miso-marinated sablefish? That would work well with a Sauvignon Blanc. If you would like to enjoy an Italian dish, how about a risotto made with truffles? Truffles complement Pinot Noir, and I have two listed for you to enjoy.
Moving on to dessert, would you consider a lemon tart? A glass of sparkling wine would pair with it. If you are a chocolate lover, a slice of chocolate cake or mousse should work with the GSM wine I’ve mentioned, but there are also port-style wines from BC you may want to try like the Coruja from Burrowing Owl.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
You can purchase Moraine Winery Pink Mountain Rosé 2021 via their website. Their Estate Pinot Noir is available through BC Liquor Stores and from the Moraine Winery website.
The Aasha Wines can be purchased through their website: Aasha Wines Two Nights Pinot Noir 2017, Aasha Wines Palolem Chardonnay 2018. These wines are sold in packs of 3.
The Burrowing Owl Estate Winery Coruja can be purchased via their website.
The Winemaker’s CUT Rosé 2020 is available at the Vancouver Everything Wine store.
You can purchase the Seaside Pearl Farmgate Winery Fraser Gold Unoaked Chardonnay 2018 online via their website.
I hope you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day, and that my wine and food suggestions made it even better. Cheers.