Lovers' Day is approaching, and although you don't need a special occasion to celebrate love by uncorking a good bottle of wine, a romantic dinner to celebrate your relationship with someone special on this day is always welcome. Cupid is coming and brings with him tips on the best labels to set the mood on this magical evening.
Celebrating love with Italian bubbles
Whether it is a new-born love and the first Valentine's Day, or a couple of parents who want to celebrate an evening without children, a lively bubbly is just what is needed to bring a little cheer to the most romantic evening of the year! Italy offers a wide choice of sparkling wines from the Classical Method, including some of the finest: from Franciacorta, to Trento DOC, passing through the bubbles of Alta Langa, perfect for pairing with a romantic aphrodisiac dinner of fish and oysters! To celebrate Valentine's Day with elegance, you can choose a bottle of equally elegance and delicacy such as the Bellavista Satèn Franciacorta DOCG 2015, a soft, creamy and fragrant wine, characterised by its very fine perlage and the perfect balance between mature touches and fresh sensations.
Amarone, the red wine like the colour of passion
The Veneto region is not only a land of great wines and excellent food, but is also home to cities of romantic charm such as Venice and Verona, the latter known as the city of love: it is here that the Shakespearean tragedy starring Romeo and Juliet is set, which could also inspire a love note for a romantic outing!
It is just north of Verona, in Valpolicella, that the persuasive Amarone wine is born, powerful and passionate, not sweet but not bitter either, intriguing and gentle, like love. Not everyone perhaps knows that red wines, when drunk in moderation, are an aphrodisiac drink, so what could be better than Amarone, a dry raisin wine that can be tasted either as a meditation wine or together with chocolate, better still with chilli pepper, to ignite passion and forget the stress of long working days!
Barolo DOCG, a great Italian red wine for a special dinner
What could be better than Barolo for a sophisticated dinner for two? It is the perfect wine to accompany refined and elegant dinners of game, truffles and mature cheeses. So why not indulge in the award-winning labels of this Italian excellence, such as the Barolo Bussia DOCG 2016, harmonious and velvety, or the Barolo DOCG 'Vigna la rosa' 2017, simply unforgettable, intense yet gentle. Barolo presents a broad and complex olfactory profile, which bewitches already on the nose and continues on the palate, thanks to warm, structured and persistent tannins.
Valentine's Day dinner with fish and white wine: Vermentino di Gallura DOCG
From enchanting landscapes sculpted by the sea and wind, in Sardinia, comes a fascinating white wine, a celebration of terroir and the Mediterranean climate in a goblet. Indeed, it is nature itself, with its constant sunshine and extremely varied soils, that gives Vermentino di Gallura DOCG, capable of making one feel on holiday after just one sip. Why not daydream and perhaps plan your next couples' holiday during Valentine's Day, sipping, for example, the excellent 'Aghiloja' Vermentino di Gallura Superiore DOCG, with its dry and velvety flavour and able to versatilely accompany both a seafood menu and grilled white meat.
An Italian wine as sweet as the festival of lovers: Moscato
To finish off dinner and accompany a mouth-watering dessert, perhaps a spoonful, why not taste, 'C'era una Volta' Moscato Dolce IGT Provincia Pavia, literally translated, once upon a time? The very name of this wine heralds a love story. Its delicate aromas are reminiscent of acacia flowers, honey, peach, apricot and citrus fruits, and its sweetness is balanced on the palate. Other Moscato wines to end the meal in style are for example Moscato d'Asti 'Zagara' DOCG 2021 or Moscato Naturale di Pantelleria DOC, both characterised by intense and fine fragrances, where sweetness and freshness go hand in hand.
Now that you know the best Italian wine labels to accompany your romantic Valentine's Day dinner, get ready to experience a dream evening thanks to the advice of Svinando's experts!