Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker. Wine has long been associated with romance.
Here are my top 10 wines for Valentine’s Day, not only because of their sexy names, but also because the wine in the bottle is equally as seductive.
Fifty Shades Of Grey Red Satin 2011
California, United States
No mention of the book that inspired this wine, but no matter, it was launched this month as the liquid seduction tie-in to the book. Of course, there are lots of aromas of fresh and tanned leather on the nose and it’s voluptuously full-bodied … Natalie’s full tasting note, food pairings and score.
Alcohol: 13.5%
Sweetness: Dry
Price: $19.95
Drink: 2013-2016
D’arenberg Wines The Love Grass Shiraz
McLaren Vale, South Australia
Take a roll in the Love Grass with your senses and tongue. Full-bodied wine with aromas of fleshy dark plums and mint … Natalie’s full tasting note, food pairings and score.
Alcohol: 14.5%
Sweetness: Dry
Price: $23.95
Drink: Now
Folie À Deux Menage A Trois 2012
California, United States
Menage a Trois means a “passion” shared by three. Oh la-la. Floral loveliness in a glass! Aromas of lychee, rose petal and white daisies after spring rain… Natalie’s full tasting note, food pairings and score.
Alcohol: 13.5%
Sweetness: Dry
Price: $17.95
Drink: 2012-2016
Gérard Bertrand Côte Des Roses Rosé 2013
Languedoc, Midi A.P., France
Pretty, fresh and light with faint fleeting notes of summer fresh wild strawberries, the tiny kind… Natalie’s full tasting note, food pairings and score.
Alcohol: 13%
Sweetness: Extra Dry
Price: $19.95
Drink: 2013-2015
Celine Dion Cabernet Sauvignon Icewine 2013
Niagara Peninsula, Ontario V.Q.A., Canada
You don’t have to travel to Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas to try Celine Dion’s wine, and thank goodness the grapes aren’t grown there. The question for this wine is whether the finish will go on as long as her love for what’s his name in the boat movie … Natalie’s full tasting note, food pairings and score.
Alcohol: 13%
Sweetness: Sweet
Price: $74.95
Drink: 2013-2018
The Foreign Affair Winery The Conspiracy Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Niagara may not be Foreign, but the intrigue of an Affair fits. Full-bodied and smooth with dark fruit and a meaty, savoury mid-palate note… Natalie’s full tasting note, food pairings and score.
Alcohol: 12.8%
Sweetness: Extra Dry
Price: $19.95
Drink: 2013-2016
The Dreaming Tree Crush Red 2012
North Coast, California
Got a crush? That’s what they call the process of pressing the grapes for fermentation. Lots of toasty oak, mocha and coffee-espresso on the nose of this full-bodied, rich Californian red wine… Natalie’s full tasting note, food pairings and score.
Alcohol: 13.5%
Sweetness: Dry
Price: $16.95
Drink: 2013-2015
Two Hands Sexy Beast Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
Mclaren Vale, South Australia
The grapes for this blockbuster red wine come from the McLaren Vale, a much-respected wine region in Australia… Natalie’s full tasting note, food pairings and score.
Alcohol: 14.8%
Sweetness: Dry
Price: $25.95
Drink: 2014-2019
Clos Du Bois Rouge 2012
California
Simply Rouge. An incredibly great Californian red wine for the price point! Smooth, supple and full-bodied, this sunshine state wine is a blend of red grapes… Natalie’s full tasting note, food pairings and score.
Alcohol: 13.5%
Sweetness: Extra Dry
Price: $14.95
Drink: 2013-2016
Heartland Shiraz 2012
Langhorne Creek, Limestone Coast, South Australia
Love the nose of black cherry liqueur and mysterious dark spices that draw you head first into the glass of this robust Australian Shiraz… Natalie’s full tasting note, food pairings and score.
Alcohol: 14.5%
Sweetness: Dry
Price: $18.95
Drink: 2013-2017
