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Wine and Spirits - Love Potions

Wines for Wooing Your Valentine

By Laurie Daniel

WINES WITH CUTE, COLORFUL NAMES ARE ALL THE RAGE THESE DAYS, but monikers like Little Penguin, Four Emus or Smoking Loon hardly conjure up visions of romance. And the brand called Dog House? Not where you want to be when you’re feeling amorous.

But there are wines whose very names will put you in the mood for love.

Perhaps it’s not surprising that the French are big on passion-filled wine names. Many of these wines are red. One of the premier cru vineyards of Chambolle-Musigny in Burgundy, for example, is called Les Amoureuses (The Lovers). Move farther south, to Beaujolais, and you’ll find Saint- Amour, one of the region’s 10 crus, or growths.And in the southern Rhône Valley, Jean-Louis Chave produces a Côtes du Rhône called Mon Coeur (My Heart). Then there’s the ultimate Valentine’s Day wine, especially for Bordeaux lovers: Chateau Saint-Valentin, a grand cru from Saint-Emilion.

In Alsace, the house of Hugel & Fils produces a crisp, rich Pinot Blanc called Cuvee les Amours. (It’s also very affordable, about $13, though the object of your affection needn’t know that.)

The Italians, who are no slouches at romance, have Dolcetto, a red wine from the northwestern Piedmont district whose name means “little sweet one.” (Try the versions from Ceretto, Prunotto or Vietti.)

Even if your tastes run more to California wines, you can find plenty of bottles with amorous names.The Cabernet Sauvignons from Terra Valentine in the Spring Mountain district of Napa Valley certainly have an appropriate name, suggesting down-to-earth romance. Or get right to the point and declare your intentions with Seduction, a Napa Valley red blend from O’Brien Cellars. And for really direct types, there’s Naked Riesling from Snoqualmie Vineyards in Washington state. (The “naked” actually refers to the fact that the wine is made from organically grown grapes, but you can keep that to yourself. No point in spoiling the fun.)

Looking for a name that’s a little more subtle and lyrical? Woo your loved one with The Poet, a red Bordeaux-style blend from Cosentino Winery in the Napa Valley, or with one of the poetic Pinot Noirs from Sonnet Cellars. Or pop open a bottle of Nocturne, a syrah from Midnight Cellars in Paso Robles, turn down the lights and put some Chopin on the stereo.

California dessert wines frequently are adorned with names that suggest seduction. You can tell your lover that he or she is sweet with Dolce (Italian for sweet). The luscious Napa Valley dessert wine, a lateharvest blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, is produced by the same folks who own Far Niente Winery in Oakville. Or try a lush, smooth Syrah Port from Hunt Cellars in Paso Robles.

And perhaps the ultimate romantic dessert wine? It has to be the concentrated, sweet Liquid Love, a late-harvest zinfandel from another Paso Robles winery, Tobin James Cellars.

Any good bottle of wine can help set the mood for a romantic evening. But when you toast your sweetheart with Liquid Love or Mon Coeur, how can you go wrong?