For wine lovers, nothing stirs up romantic vibes more than sharing a glass with a loved one amid some of the world’s most desired wine regions. On Valentine’s Day, why not give a wine from the region where your favorite romantic production was filmed? To help you out, we’ve created three wine gift ideas, including suggested film and takeout pairings for a cozy, romantic evening.
Romeo & Juliet: Amore and Amarone
Amarone—an
intense dry red wine produced from dried grapes in the Veneto region, just
north of Verona—is the perfect wintry, romantic wine to sip while watching Romeo
& Juliet (even if they would have been too young to drink it!). Campagnola
is a fifth-generation, large producer in the highly esteemed Valpolicella
Classico wine region of Veneto. The family started making wine in 1907. Today,
Luigi Campagnola personally supervises grape selection and the delicate drying
stage. Grapes are left in a drying loft for about 100 days post-harvest, where
they lose some 40% of their weight, resulting in increased sugar content, flavor,
color, and bouquet.
Great Gatsby: An Old-World White in the New World
If
Jay Gatsby were seeking to steal away for a glass with Daisy, he would head
straight to Paumanok Vineyards—a Long Island producer of old-world style wines
for 38 years. But you don’t need the wealth of a Gatsby to enjoy Paumanok’s
beautiful, affordable fine wines. Founded in 1983, Paumanok produces what Eric
Asimov of The New York Times has called “one of the best American Chenin Blancs
around.” Owners Ursula and Charles Massoud and their three sons plant a dense 1,100
to 1,400 vines on each of their 127 acres to produce concentrated fruit and a higher-quality
wine.
Ratings: Wine
Enthusiast 85
Producer: Paumanok Vineyards
Region: North Fork, Long Island
Type: White, Chenin Blanc
Vintage: Paumanok Chenin Blanc, 2018
The Wine Guy: The Paumanok 2018 Chenin underwent a slow, cool
fermentation in stainless steel tanks. It was bottled with a screw cap to
preserve freshness and cleanliness. The result is a fresh, crisp, racy, and
bracing Chenin that is redolent of grapefruit and pineapple, with more subtle
notes of melon, apple, and guava.
Suggested Pairing: Shrimp scampi, fish and chips, goat cheese salad
Bridgerton: British Bubbles
Shonda Rhimes’ gorgeous Netflix adaptation of Julia Quinn’s
romantic novels set in London makes us think of a fine British sparkling wine. Protagonists
Daphne and Simon might toast their love today with Balfour’s Leslie's Reserve
NV sparkling wine. Balfour’s sparkling wines are produced 40 miles southeast of
London, in Kent’s maritime microclimate at the Hush Heath estate. The grapes
are grown in in Wealden clay and Greensand soils and hand-picked at harvest.
Ratings: Wine
Enthusiast, 90; Cellar Tracker, 89; Texsom International Wine Awards- Gold
Medal
Producer: Balfour
Region: Kent, United Kingdom
Type: Sparkling white wine blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot
Meunier
Vintage: Balfour Leslie’s Reserve NV
Winemaker’s Notes: Named after our Producer, Leslie, this is one of our
best-loved wines, specifically to create a richer, riper style. Bridging the
gap between Brut and Demi-sec, the wine has a touch of sweetness that works in
harmony with the vibrant English acidity to produce a wine of beautiful poise
and balance. Rare for traditional method sparkling wine flavours, ripe apple
and black fruits dominate, creating a wine perfect as an aperitif but with huge
gastronomic potential.
Suggested Pairing: Sushi, Chinese or Thai takeout