Wine For Valentine’s: The Perfect Bottle of Wine for Every Valentine’s Day Date
By Caroline Poe
By now, you’ve already made your dinner reservation, picked up flowers, and a box of chocolates, right? If not, get on it boys. This Valentine’s Day you could really impress your lady by being able to pick out the right bottle of wine. Even if you aren’t a wine-o, you can order the right bottle of wine that accents your meal perfectly, and make her swoon.
The best part is, picking the perfect bottle of wine is surprisingly easy. Justin Baker, a server at Downtown Uncorked Wine Bar and Maroon Weekly’s own Arts & Culture Editor, helped me come up with the perfect pairings to impress your date this Valentine’s Day.
Tips for ordering the right bottle of wine…
Ask, ask, ask, never be afraid to ask questions. If you are at a somewhat expensive restaurant, many times they will have their wine stewards on hand or a more fancy name, a sommelier. This will make you appear knowledgable enough to ask for advice. But, if you aren’t a wine drinker, don’t be afraid to let your server know so that he/she can pick something you will enjoy.
You are most likely going to know where you are going to dinner, so why not look at the wine list prior to the date. You could research it beforehand and maybe even wow your date for some extra brownie points.
Justin gave me a few good tips to help you out if you are still a little weary of choosing the correct wine for what you are eating. If you’re not a wine drinker, don’t branch out too far. Rather than going for the right pairing choose a blush or a sweet white wine. But if you’re a wine drinker, don’t be afraid to ask your server for suggestions. It’s his/her job to know what pairs best.
For your romantic Italian dinner…
Typically a red wine is always a good choice with the intense flavor of red tomato sauce. A Sangiovese would be a wonderful pairing to your pasta.
For your romantic Steak dinner…
Cabernet Sauvignon is typically the best wine paired with steak, because of its full-body, it can stand up to steak’s richness. You want to pick a dry, heavy red wine that has big flavor and texture. This wine is aged in oak barrels, which give it a wonderful oaky, smoky, flavor that we find in most grilled steaks. Another great red for steak is Syrah.
For your romantic Seafood dinner…
It depends on the seafood and how it is prepared, but for most seafood a white wine with some body would be you best bet. A Chardonnay or Viognier would be delicious with just about any type of seafood you could order.
For an affordable bottle for your romantic evening at home…
Most Moscato, Riesling, and Gewurztraminer wines are priced under $15 and taste great. They’re sweet, easy drinking whites. For expert advice, visit Specs or Downtown Uncorked to pick up the perfect bottle.