V is for Valentine's; R is for Red

But you can still spring for a serious bottle of wine and find some time to sit down and share it with someone you care about it.

A simple dish, possibly take-out, should do the trick along with two quality wine glasses and a fine bottle of red; it's really all you need. I will leave the rest of the day up to you, but read on for my wine picks.

Rose champagne doesn't really need an occasion but if there is one day made for rose, perhaps it's Valentine's Day.

The attractive colour of rose is achieved in two ways. The simple method is to add red wine to white wine until the sought-after shade of pink/red is achieved. The hues can vary from Coho salmon pink to Sockeye red. The other, complex method is to allow the skins of the black grapes (pinot noir and pinot meunier) to contact the juice after pressing in order to leach out the colour.

The bonus with rose is that the addition of black grapes tends to give a more full-bodied taste, which means bubbly can be paired with a wide variety of foods. Think lamb, chicken, salmon, prawns, lobster, crab and even Chinese food. A flute, one of the following roses and some take-out and you are on your way to memorable evening.

The Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Rose has a very attractive coppery salmon hue colour and a fresh nutty, raspberry, creamy, mineral nose. It has fine acidity (excellent for food) and flavour intensity with cherry, raspberry, creamy, nutty, baked apple, citrus flavours. This is elegant balanced, classy rose in a romantic package at a very reasonable price.

Similarly styled is the Pol Roger Brut Rose 1996. The colour is pale salmon/orange; the blend is 60 per cent pinot noir and 40 per cent chardonnay. The wine has an appealing cherry/earthy, toasted fruit nose and flavour streaked with citrus and peach. It's very rich and round for a rose, with a hint of licorice and pear on the finish. A rich, balanced style with persistent, creamy mousse. Delicious.

I have little doubt pinot noir will be a big seller for Valentine's, given its rich round supple textures and voluptuous fruit flavours. In fact ever since the movie Sideways hit the big screen, pinot sales have taken off in the United States in a massive way. Wineries are reporting a rise in sales of close to 25 per cent over the previous year and they are asking their distributors to stop advertising or trying to sell pinot noir because they are running short of supply.

My pinot picks are both out of California. The Chateau St. Jean Pinot Noir 2002 is an enticing mix of Russian River and Carneros fruit that offers up a smoky, black cherry, rootsy, barnyard, spicy nose spiked with celery seed, licorice and orange peel highlights. It is rich, round, soft and packed with velvety textures and a touch of warmth -- ripe cherry jam, smoky vanilla, celery salt, spicy, rootsy forest floor flavours. Very well balanced, it possesses a rich style with a warm finish. Good value and real pinot.

Saintsbury Carneros Pinot Noir 2002 is a lovely example of New World pinot made to perfection. Vanilla, strawberry, barnyard, spicy, licorice aromas entice you toward a soft, supple dry red packed with spicy, strawberry, raspberry, smoky, licorice, carrot top flavours. Good concentration and balance with light tannins at the end.

Pinot food matching is fun and easy. Duck confit, braised meats and salmon all work and for an easy take-out or a selection Ahi Tuna sushi and sashimi. Take your pick.

Pick up some hand-made ravioli and your favourite aphrodisiac sauce, tomato or mushroom based and serve with one or both of the following Italian reds.

I just love this Tommasi Valpolicella Ripasso 2001. A sort of fuel-injected Valpolicella it gains power and mouth feel from a ripasso or second fermentation done on the left over warms skins of an Amarone ferment. Enjoy its big spicy, coffee, vanilla, smoky nose mixed with leather, prune/plum and gamey, licorice root aromas. The textures are round, supple and dry with tobacco, chocolate, black cherry, prune, licorice flavours and a peppery, savour pudding finish. Warm but very well balanced and savoury. A terrific bottle.

There's something inherently sexy about the plump carignano grape -- southern Italy, very old vines and a wine label inspired by the Phoenicians. The Shardana Carignano - Shiraz 1999 produced by Neil Empson, Santadi and winemaker Piero Cella is made with a 100 year-old carignano vines growing on their original roots at the southern tip of Sardegna. The result is spicy, black cherry jam, exotic tangerine peel, espresso/chocolate aromas and a super round chunky and somewhat tannic red packed with intense espresso, chocolate, prune, licorice root, black cherry jam with an orange pudding, cardamom finish.

Weekend Tasting - Valentine's Day Reds

Wine       Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Rosé N/V, Champagne, France
Price       $55.99
UPC       3282946011808
Score     91/100
Remarks               A classy rose in a romantic package at a very reasonable price.

Wine       Pol Roger Brut Rose Pinot Noir - Chardonnay 1996, Champagne, France
Price       $65.99
UPC       089744301765
Score     92/100
Remarks               Intense strawberry, cherry, toasted apple flavours with a hint of licorice and pear.

Wine       Chateau St. Jean Pinot Noir 2002, Sonoma County, California
Price       $29.99
UPC       089819059041
Score     91/100
Remarks               Spicy nose spiked with celery seed, licorice and orange peel.

Wine       Saintsbury Carneros Pinot Noir 2002, Carneros, Napa Valley, California
Price       $45.95
UPC       732458950773
Score     91/100
Remarks               Spicy, strawberry, raspberry, smoky, licorice flavours.

Wine       Tommasi Valpolicella Ripasso 2001, Veneto, Italy
Price       $29.95
UPC       8004645365102
Score     90/100
Remarks               Chocolate, black cherry, prune, licorice flavours and a savoury pudding finish.

Wine       Shardana Carignano - Shiraz 1999, Sardegna, Italy
Price       $39.95
UPC       726452002880
Score     90/100
Remarks               Intense espresso, chocolate, black cherry jam with cardamom orange pudding.