Just because it’s a leap year doesn’t mean you have extra time to plan for Valentine’s Day.
The most romantic day of the year is still on February 14. This year, that’s a Tuesday—next Tuesday. That’s good news for restaurateurs, since Monday and Tuesday tend to be the slowest days of the week for dining out. For a restaurant owner, it’s almost like getting an extra Friday or Saturday on the calendar.
Assuming you are the CEOR (Chief Executor of Romance) in your relationship, it’s important to know that wine is required for an evening to be truly romantic. It might even be a law, but we’ll have to check into that.
What kind of wine? Romance experts from Cyrano de Bergerac to Charlie Sheen (probably) recommend three types:
- RED. That is, after all, the color of the heart. But which red? We could cop out and say, “Whatever kind you prefer,” but we’d highly recommend Pinot Noir. It’s the only red that’s regularly described as silky, smooth, supple and seductive. The really good ones also have great legs.
- SPARKLING. It’s the wine served at weddings, and it’s the go-to wine for all types of celebrations. It’s also just plain fun to drink, and shouldn’t romance be fun?
- SWEET. The Valentine’s Day meal must be concluded with dessert (that might also be a law), but that doesn’t mean dessert must be something that’s chewed. Instead of strawberry cheesecake or flourless chocolate cake or crème brulee, opt for a glass of dessert wine. On a restaurant wine list, look for vinous verbiage such as “Port” or “Late Harvest” or “Ice Wine.” Drinking your dessert not only is a fun change of pace, but it also gives you one more opportunity to toast the one you love.
THE WEEK AHEAD: All this week on Vinesse Today, we’ll be counting down to the most romantic day of the year with food-and-wine pairing suggestions, romantic destinations and more.
TOMORROW: What to serve with the wines described above.
