Valentine's Day Wine Picks (2025)

Celebrating Valentine's Day, Galentine's Day, or cozying up for a quiet evening alone at home on February 14th? Here are a few wine recommendations to treat yourself or that special someone in your life. All three wines are versatile enough that they can be enjoyed on their own, or paired with food at the dinner table, and will provide immense pleasure.

Sparkling wine is always a safe bet, not only to start off your evening as an apéritif on its own or with a light, salty snack, but sparkling wines are also very versatile at the dinner table. Prosecco goes really well with seafood - grilled, seared, or fried & salty, but can also be paired with a wide range of foods, such as pizza, white meat entrées, and vegetarian cuisine.

LA MARCA PROSECCO - DOC Veneto, Italy (#487694) (D) - $19.40
Glera grapes selected from small vineyards were gently crushed and pressed. The juice was cold-settled and underwent initial fermentation in stainless steel tanks, then aged on its lees prior to undergoing secondary fermentation in the classic Charmat method. Fresh, medium+ intensity nose delivers attractive honeysuckle, pear, acacia floral, and lemon citrus aromas flecked with white peach notes. The mid-weighted palate is off-dry (i.e. slightly sweet) with delicious honeyed pear and acacia floral flavours accented with lemon peel and white peach notes. There's good structure on the mid-palate, and it's supported by crisp and lively acidity and bubbles. Balanced flavours of honeysuckle, pear, floral, and lemon citrus taper to minerals on the finish, with very good length.

White wines are perfect for any setting, such as an apéritif before dinner or sipping while cooking. With a lighter and more casual feel, white wines such as this Pinot Grigio are ideal for intimate or laid back celebrations, while also complementing a wide range of dishes such as seafood, creamy pasta, salad, and cheese, due to the wine's food-friendly acidity.

ATTEMS PINOT GRIGIO 2023 - DOC Friuli, Italy (#707950) (XD) - $17.20
Fresh, fragrant, and intense aromas of lemon citrus, grapefruit, ripe Golden apple, pear, and yellow floral aromas accented with honeysuckle and grassy notes. It was impressive weight and concentration on the dry, medium+ to medium-full bodied palate with lovely spice notes complementing the ripe lemon citrus, grapefruit, yellow floral, apple, and pear, and grassy flavours. It has crisp, juicy, and zesty acidity, along with a fine mineral texture. Lemon citrus, grapefruit, apple, and grassy notes taper to leesy minerals on the slightly chalky textured and lengthy finish.

Red wines tend to complete a great meal, and for Valentine's Day celebrations you can splurge on a special bottle of wine, such as this Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley in Sonoma County. If you're serving this wine with dinner, it is best paired with proteins such as red meat, but is versatile enough to be enjoyed with poultry, pork, pasta, and even a rich whitefish such as bass.

RODNEY STRONG ALEXANDER VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2021 - Sonoma County, California, USA (#350454) (XD) - $30.95
100% Cabernet Sauvignon. The medium+ to medium-high intensity nose is fresh, ripe, and mostly red fruited with red currant, cassis, dark red cherry, red plum, and fine wood spice aromas, plus touches of milk chocolate. On the dry, full-bodied palate it has ripe red currant, red plum, dark red cherry, cassis, wood spice, and milk chocolate flavours, along with some savoury and dried herb characters arriving on the mid-palate. It has very good, juicy acidity, along with chewy, structured tannins. More savoury with smoky, graphite mineral, and milk chocolate notes lingering on the long, juicy, and well-structured finish. Enjoyable now, and can also be cellared to the end of the decade.

Other fine wines by these producers can be found at the LCBO, or through their Agent - Mark Anthony Wine & Spirits.