The below was produced for Lightfoot Travel in February 2017.
Wine and love “have ever been allies”. We asked wine guru James Hindle of Singapore wine retailer Pop Up Wine, to give us five of his favourite wines for Valentines (and other romantic occasions).
Famiglia Pasqua ‘Romeo & Juliet’ Passione e Sentimento 2012
Veneto, Italy
The most famous love story committed to paper is unquestionably that of Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. Every day thousands of love-struck visitors to Verona leave sentimental notes on a wall beneath a balcony where Juliet is said to have been wooed by Romeo. This wall has now become famous in its own right, and has inspired an award-winning Italian winemaker, Famiglia Pasqua, to produce an intense red wine perfect for young lovers. The bottle includes an image of the famous wall, shot by Giò Martorana, a famous Italian photographer. Thinking of cooking an Italian dish for your loved one on Valentines? This wine would be the perfect partner.
Mirabeau Cotes de Provence Rose 2015
Provence, France
A dozen roses are traditional on Valentine’s day, but hugely expensive at this time of year. Put a smile on your loved one’s face this year by arriving home with a dozen bottles of Rosé instead! Unlike florists, wine merchants don’t increase the price of Rosé in early February.
Rosé is a delightful pink wine made from red grapes. Provence is generally considered the world’s leading wine region for this style of wine.
Mojo Moscato 2014
Australia
Valentine’s Day is not an evening for excessive refreshment – should you over indulge, your loved one will almost certainly mention this repeatedly for the rest of the year. A fun wine option might therefore be a bottle of delightful low-alcohol pink Moscato – a sweet, slightly bubbly wine, with peach and orange characteristics, that few can’t help but love. Moscato pairs beautifully with Szechuan, Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. It has a high level of residual sugar, which lends well to use as a dessert wine.
Dumangin Le Vintage 1er Cru 2004
Champagne, France
Champagne is intrinsically associated with celebration, and is therefore a superb choice when celebrating your love this Valentine’s Day. Demonstrate your originality by popping open a bottle of vintage champers. Vintage champagne is not necessarily aged wine – instead the term means that it is made from the grapes of only one year’s harvest. Most champagnes are non-vintage, and made from the grapes of multiple years (called vintages in the wine trade). This is the reason the letters “NV” appear on most bottles. Vintage champagne is only produced in years in which there is a superb harvest. One that you need to try is Dumangin Le Vintage 1er Cru that has notes of lemon, honey and orange. Delicious.
Red Whine 