The 10 best wines and cocktails for Valentine's Day 2022: Sip and savor the romance
The world is awash in shades of pink and red for Valentine’s Day. A holiday bursting with expressions of love, feel-good vibes and, for many couples, pressure.
How can you express the depths of your feelings on a single day? If you're on a budget, it's even harder.
Instead of painting the town red (or pink) this Valentine’s week, consider a DIY celebration at home. You can still support local restaurants by ordering your favorites for carry out while keeping your kitchen clean.
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Set the table with flowers and candles, turn on some slow jams, and begin the evening with one of these sexy cocktails or luscious wines in the holiday’s signature colors.
Tiny bubbles
Sparkling wine is essential to celebrations and perfect for romance. It's even better for Valentines if those bubbles are pink. Affordable and easy to find is the award-winning Mumm Napa Brut Rose. Toast the beginning of your evening with a glass beside a salty or spicy appetizers, and finish the bottle with dessert. ($23.99)
Passionate spritzing
From Puerto Rico, Don Q produces an aged rum infused with passion fruit. For a pre-dinner, pre-passion cocktail, try this Passion Spritz, crafted by acclaimed Miami mixologist Josue Gonzalez.
Combine 1 ounce of Don Q Passion, ½ ounce Aperol, ½ ounce POM pomegranate juice and ¼ ounce lemon-zest simple syrup* in a shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously. Strain into coupe glass and top with Champagne. Garnish with lemon twist.
*For lemon-zest syrup, boil equal parts water and sugar with the zest of one lemon. Strain the syrup and cool before using.
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Pink gin for a heartfelt win
The story behind Glendalough Rose Gin is pure love. Founder Rowdy Rooney’s mother was not only named Rose, she also kept a rose garden that continued to bloom after her death. For his brother’s wedding, Rooney made a special gin for the toast using petals from their mom’s flowers so she could be with them. Now bottled for the world to enjoy, rose petals are used in the distilling process for flavor and color.
For the Glendalough Rose Spritz, pour 2 ounces of the rose gin into a glass filled with ice. Add 1 ounce fresh lime juice and top with grapefruit soda. Garnish with a grapefruit wheel and a freshly torn and slapped sprig of mint.
Move over mimosa, hello Chismosa
Perhaps you’re planning a Valentine's brunch. This riff on the classic mimosa uses Chinola, a bold, delicious and versatile passion-fruit liqueur from the Dominican Republic. Pour 1 ounce into a chilled flute glass and top with 4 ounces of sparkling wine. Stir gently. It’s not pink, but it's still passion fruit, so it gets a pass. Garnish with a strawberry for that pop of red.
Weaving a Tapestry of love
Beaulieu Vineyard is famous for Tapestry, a bold Bordeaux blend that is elegant and serious but still playful. Predominantly cabernet, the 2018 vintage has lush flavors of dark fruits such as plum, cherry and raspberry. The lingering finish is a balance of fruit, herbs and spice. For that extra touch, decant before dinner, then sip and savor with someone you love. ($65)
DIY chocolate and wine pairing
Ghirardelli Chocolate Co. and 7 Deadly Wines have come together with pairing suggestions for anyone in need of a last minute, grocery-store bail out that doesn’t break the bank.
7 Deadly's 2019 cabernet sauvignon, with its notes of blackberry and mocha, is spot on with the bright fruit in Ghirardelli's Raspberry Radiance. Also complementing the chocolate, put a dish of pomegranate seeds on the side for a fresh touch.
If you prefer Ghirardelli’s Sea Salt Soiree, serve it with 7 Deadly's red blend. For the 7 Deadly zinfandel, pair it with Ghirardelli's Intense Dark Chocolate and a bowl of cherries for a slam dunk. All wines are $16.
Bouquet of Roses
Flowers are romantic, but this delivery is rose wine from DAOU Vineyards. The California winery has several luxury gift sets for Valentine’s Day, including a three-pack of bright, beautiful reserve rose made from grenache. Think strawberry, cranberry, cherry and even a hint of melon. These are good for an aperitivo or throughout the meal.
Additional gift sets include "I Will be Your Bodyguard," containing bottles of Bodyguard red blend and chardonnay, along with a Bodyguard wine key. Prices are $115 and $100 respectively.
The sport of romance
Valentine’s Day weekend coincides with Super Bowl LVI which features a halftime performance by Snoop Dogg. The entrepreneurial rapper has teamed with the rebellious 19 Crimes wine for a floral and fruity Cali Rose and Cali Red, a blend of mostly petite sirah and zinfandel that is dark and slightly sweet. It's ideal for those who want to celebrate their love for each other, as well as football.
Strawberry basil kiss with a healthful twist
Strawberries are a Valentine’s Day essential. They make for colorful, flavorful cocktails such as the Koloa Kiss from Hawaii's Koloa Rum Co.
Lightly muddle a fresh basil leaf at the bottom of a highball glass. Add 2 chopped strawberries and lightly muddle again. Add ½ ounce Grenadine and 1½ ounces Koloa white rum. Stir to mix, add ice and top with kombucha. Garnish with strawberry and basil for a drink that is as fresh as your date.
Chocolate + wine = ChocoVine
ChocoVine is the first brand on the market to combine wine (French cabernet) with chocolate — decadent Dutch chocolate. Like an adult chocolate milk, it comes in several flavors. Chill it, put it over ice or mix equal parts with vodka for an addictive chocolate martini. (under $15)
Whether celebrating with your lover or your friends, in person or via Zoom, cheers to Valentine’s Day.
Gina Birch writes about food, wine and spirits for The News-Press and at thebirchbeat.blogspot.com. Follow her as @ginabirch on Twitter and find her on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Best wines, cocktails for Valentine's Day 2022: Sippable romance
