For this issue we take on pairing wine with love: the love of romance, the love of chocolate, the love of gift giving and the love that lasts.
Q: What out-of-the-box gift idea could you
give your wine-loving sweetheart?
A: My husband bought me a wine club membership to my favorite winery one year. It was a gift that kept on giving for many years. My daughter bought me a slinky purple dress to reduce the look of wine stains. With those kinds of ideas in mind, you can also try:
•Wine glasses etched with your names, favorite song, inside joke or saying.
•Personalized wine bottle labels celebrating your marriage.
•Chocolate from the country your sweetheart’s ancestors are from. Some of the most interesting chocolate comes from Belgium, Switzerland, France, Mexico, Britain, Italy, Denmark, Germany…and have some red wine or Port, as mentioned above, on hand to serve it with.
•A filled picnic basket – with wine too of course – and set up a blanket and pillows on your living room floor to enjoy.
•A wine-pairing lesson hosted by yours truly.
Q: Are their certain wines that create a romantic mood?
A: Traditionally Champagne has always been the wine to set the mood for a romantic evening. Try greeting your better half at the door with a flute of sparking wine before dinner. Add in an adult board game, like Enchanting Evening, that prompts players to sip Champagne between turns. Wake your spouse in the morning with fresh fruit, toast and a bottle of Champagne. Then go back to bed.
Q: Would it be a good idea to buy a wine that is from the same year you were married, that you could open on anniversaries or Valentine’s Day? If so, how long will a wine last?
A: Absolutely! We have a magnum of a Robert Mondavi Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet and a bottle of Lynch Bages Bordeaux. The magnum of a domestic wine is good for two decades of marriage, as is the French Bordeaux. The rule of thumb is that a magnum can go longer, so invest in at least one. The other rule is to have a back up bottle for special occasions, hence the Bordeaux. We actually have more bottles cellared, ready to celebrate the anniversaries to come!
Q: What wines would you pair with chocolates?
A: I recently held a chocolate tasting lesson. Starting with the darkest, say 80% or greater cacao, and work yourself down to less than 50% cacao. As your palate adjusts to the changing flavor and density, enhance your lesson with a bottle of vintage or non-vintage sweet fortified Port wine. If you prefer a less sweet pairing, move over to your favorite red wine varietal. One trick: for a less than stellar tasting red wine, place a chocolate chip on your tongue before taking a taste.
Eve Bushman has been reading, writing, taking coursework and tasting wine for over 20 years. She has obtained a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, has been the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and recently served as a guest judge for the L.A. International Wine Competition. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com