Be My Valentine

There's no need to panic there is still time to implement plan "B" and get that romantic dinner organized at home.

The good news is you get a lot more wine for the buck when eating at home, there is no parking or transit fees, you won't have to pay any additional taxes and there are is no tip required. The savings alone make it seem an appropriate decision for these economic times.

There is still the cooking at home part, but it isn't all that tough as long as you keep the menu simple. Comfort dishes work well as do one-dish dinners and if you are absolutely hopeless in the kitchen, you can buy just about everything you need already prepared.

Store-bought (homemade) stuffed pasta could be just the ticket. Ravioli, agnolotti or tortellini fit the bill and your choice of romantic fillings could include ricotta cheese, mushrooms, lobster or butternut squash. After that, simply select the appropriate sauce - tomato, cheese, olive oil, pesto and you are good to go.

One of my favourite dishes is whole-roasted chicken with rosemary potatoes, but if beef is your thing a pair of T-bone steaks or veal chops, and a Caesar salad will get the job done too. The trick is to keep it simple and let the wine fill in the edges.

Dessert should be equally simple. Berries and fresh cream, panna cotta, crème brûlée, cheesecake or a few well-chosen high quality chocolates and you are all set. Any of these items can be purchased during the day. All you need to do is present them artfully.

Once the menu is organized you can turn your attention to the wine. The sound of a cork coming out of a bottle may be romantic, but wine is infinitely more sexy when poured from a decanter. Add a pair of quality wine glasses and you can't go wrong.

It's still Valentine's Day, so while I've tried to maximize the value in today's choices, there is a single extravagance: the rosé champagne. Rosé champagne doesn't really need an occasion to be opened, but if there is one day made for the bubble with highly attractive rosé colour, perhaps it is Valentine's Day.

A perfect choice is the Piper-Heidsieck Brut Rosé Sauvage. You will get full points for serving this bright, pink-raspberry coloured fizz. The nose is a mix of raspberry, citrus cream and nutty baked-red-apple aromas. The entry is soft with fine flavour intensity and more citrus, nutty, raspberry, mineral, baked pear and tobacco flavours with a touch of almond. Stylish with good fruit intensity, you can pair this with sushi, jamon, prosciutto or take or even consider serving it with whole-roasted chicken or pork tenderloin.

Pinot noir will be a big seller for Valentine's given its rich, round supple textures and voluptuous fruit flavours. There is good value in the Kenwood Pinot Noir 2006 from Sonoma County's Russian River sub-district where 25 per cent of the fruit is estate grown on cool, rocky sites not far from the coast. Ten per cent of the wine is whole berry fermented to intensify the fruit character. It's aged in French oak for just over ten months. Look for a full-bodied pinot with smoky plum flavours and spicy, rootsy, cherry jam undertones with traces of celery salt and forest floor. Youthful, it will improve over the next few years. Try this with a mushroom pasta dish.

Italian reds are full of romance. Certainly, there's something inherently sexy about the soft, supple southern red grape: néro d'Avola. Soft, round and plush on the palate the Scurati Nero d'Avola 2006 comes with peppery, smoky, savoury, black cherry fruit flavours flecked with orange peel and mineral notes. Roast chicken anyone?

You can spell value and seduction with malbec. This red wine grape takes on a soft, sensuous texture in South America and is the perfect companion to Valentines' Day. Check out the Cobos Felino Malbec 2007 from Mendoza. Its round, warm, elegant style comes with light, grainy tannins and spicy, vanilla, coffee, plum, black cherry, dried herb, savoury, mineral flavours. The bright acidity and fruit keep the finish lively. Try with lamb shanks or veal osso buco.

Don't forget zinfandel when it's made in a hedonistic, rich style like the Wingnut Zinfandel 2006. The '06 version is much like the '05, if not a touch fresher and maybe a bit glossier. The fruit is spicy and warm with mixing black cherry jam, cedar, sweet plums and vanilla with a dusting of tobacco in the end. Good value.

Dessert is must on Valentine's Day, and hands down best value in the country is De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis Semillon 2006. The latest Noble One under screw cap is simply delicious. Apricots, nectarines, honey, orange and a crisp, elegant finish. Drink solo or with a variety of fruit-based desserts.

For extra-added visual impact, not to mention some flavour enhancement, I suggest you decant all the still wines a minimum 15 to 30 minutes before serving. Now, the rest is up to you.

VALENTINE'S DAY DINNER PICKS

PIPER-HEIDSIECK BRUT ROSÉ SAUVAGE N/V, CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE

Price      $96

UPC       03018336150013

Score     91/100

Remarks              Raspberry, cream, nutty, baked red apple, citrus aromas.

KENWOOD PINOT NOIR 2006, RUSSIAN RIVER, SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES

Price      $26

UPC       010986002813

Score     89/100

Remarks              Full-bodied pinot with smoky plum flavours. Try with mushroom pasta.

SCURATI NERO D'AVOLA 2006, SICILY, ITALY

Price      $24

UPC       8032484870116

Score     87/100

Remarks              Soft, round, plush palate with smoky, savoury, black cherry flavours.

COBOS FELINO MALBEC 2007, MENDOZA, ARGENTINA

Price      $20.00

UPC       897941000974

Score     89/100

Remarks              Spicy, vanilla, coffee, plum, black cherry, savoury, mineral flavours.

WINGNUT ZINFANDEL 2006, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES

Price      $19.00

UPC       894509005105

Score     88/100

Remarks              Black cherry jam, cedar, sweet plums and vanilla.

DE BORTOLI NOBLE ONE BOTRYTIS SEMILLON 2006, AUSTRALIA

Price      $29.99

UPC       09300752070841

Score     92/100

Remarks              Baked peach, mineral, butter, vanilla, floral, lime, honey aromas.