Valentine’s Day – Main Party Store

As we pointed out last year when we highlighted some affordable, accessible wine and bubbly for Valentine’s Day, if you’re getting into the real spirit of the holiday, you’re not necessarily wanting to pick a wine that’s going to start a highbrow debate about the Robert Parker score and whether the bottle has been cellared properly. No, as much as “being sweet” has taken some knocks in modern times, both in terms of sentiment and in the world of wine, sweet is back. And bubbles never went out of fashion anyway! So below we’re highlighting one of each. The Cherry On Top wines slide comfortably into that new realm of sweet wines made acceptable over the last couple of years by the surprising meteoric rise of Moscato. And the Rosa Regale – while less sweet – has its roots in hundreds of years of of winemaking in one of Italy’s smallest production zones, the Brachetto d’Acqui Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita. It not only has an excellent label for a romantic day like Valentine’s Day, the wine inside is actually quite wonderful! By the way, if you’re still trapped in the odd perception that sweet wine is somehow inferior, check out this NYT piece, which talks about the perplexing consumer resistance to sweet wine. As Marc Parcé of Domaine de la Rectorie observes in the linked article: “It’s bizarre. People have never consumed more sugar than they do today, but no one wants to drink sweet wine.” Well, let’s fix that. Don’t be afraid of a little sweetness this Valentine’s Day!

	Rosa Regale has a delicate bouquet of rose petals and offers sensuous flavors of fresh raspberries and strawberries. Its effervescence is softer than that of champagne, yet it yields a persistent and delicate pink froth. Its lively garnet color makes other sparklers pale in comparison. No wine pairs better with chocolate than Rosa Regale. a celebration.
	Cherry On Top Red is deliciously sweet, lush with fruit, and easy to drink, with a smooth finish. Enticing aromas and flavors of bright red cherry, baking spice and vanilla. Created from a blend of Syrah, Zin, Merlot, Tempranillo & Grenache
	Cherry On Top White possesses floral aromatics, is sweet and lively with fruit, and easy to drink. Aromatics of peach cobbler complimented by fresh stone fruit and a honeyed finish. Blend of White Rielsing, Gewurztraminer, Chenin Blanc and Viognier. Like Moscato? You’ll love it.

Mi Amore from Northern Italy –
a versatile choice with a
charmingly romantic label.

If your number one priority this Valentine’s Day is picking the perfect wine, or getting the best table at the most expensive restaurant, your priorities may be a little out of order. Like the accomplished romance artist and crooner Dean Martin said, “when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore”. A romantic Valentine’s Day should be about the love, and all the other things that express it – some flowers, a simple gift, some sensual food, some levity, and the look in the eyes. Not the price tag and the Robert Parker score. That’s why we’ve picked some versatile, accessible, and affordable bubblies and table wines for your consideration. Italy and Spain are sort of legendary for expertise in the romance department, which might explain the fun sexiness of the wines here. And we especially focused on wines that have a romantic hue, or in the case of the Mi Amore, a romantic label. The producers themselves say that the “two doves kissing represent peace, harmony and passion”. What more do you want out of Valentine’s Day. We’ve suggested some wine, the rest is up to you.