Bottoms up for Valentine's Day!

 Jason Clarke, Contributor

The V-Day is now upon us and in less than 24 hours restaurants, florists, chocolatiers and wine-shops will be bombarded with the last-minute requests in order to make the day of red and white memorable. Last week, I spoke about setting the mood with wine and chocolate but making choices with food will really make the night amazing.

A delightful dinner for two may sound like the order of the day. I am sure lots of restaurants will have a special menu for Valentine's Day and you may wonder what's the best pairing options. Here are a few guidelines that may help in selecting something that complements your meal. Brands may vary but the varietals is what really matters.

White Wines

Champagne or other sparklings like a Cava from Spain or a Prosseco from Italy are amazing with anything that's salty. This could be a great starter to the evening if paired with an appetiser.

Sauvignon Blanc works really well with tangy citrus-based type foods or sauces. Salads may typically tend to have a tart dressing which will work incredibly well with this varietal.

Pinot Grigios are always so light and delicate and pairs exceptionally with light fish dishes. If you are a sushi lover like I am, this could be a great choice for you, and that steam snapper would certainly work well with this along with oysters.

Chardonnay, the big boy of white wines, generally will stand up to intense creamy buttery sauces or fatty fish. Garlic-buttered shrimp, salmon, tuna and lobster are perfect complements to this white wine.

Red Wines

Pinot Noir is a light-bodied red wine and works incredibly well with earthy type flavours. Any dish with mushrooms is a perfect companion to this wine. Roast chicken, duck, lamb and salmon are great meat choices that can work amazingly well. Like all things, the better the quality of the wine, the better the pairing.

Malbecs, as you well know, are my absolute favourite, and I don't think I will ever get bored with it. Malbecs are so bold and distinct that they work beautifully with any kind of sweet-spicy barbecue sauce.

Merlots are great all-rounders and will complement most foods.

Cabernet Sauvignon is a full-bodied wine that loves red meat. Whether the meat is well done or medium rare, it truly enhances the flavour. I often prefer a steak with a great cab.

Syrah is king of spice and can certainly take the heat. Spicy dishes or heavily seasoned meats are perfect choices to this wine.

More daring

For the more daring who would prefer to make a fabulous meal and enjoy at home, the Nobilo Icon Pinot Noir with savoury lamb is absolutely yummy. It was recently recommended to me and I must say absolutely delicious. Their website http://www.nobilowines.com/Entertainng/Recipes/wine-pairing-lamb.htm has a great recipe you can follow. If your skill sets aren't quite there to tackle the task of preparing lamb, simple options like a shrimp and penne pasta in a creamy white sauce and a Chardonnay will certainly go down very well. Alamos Chardonnay, Little Penguin Chardonnay, as well the Jacob's Creek Chardonnay are beautiful with this kind of dish, and available in most supermarkets and won't break the bank.

Whatever you decide to do, have fun with it and, most important, enjoy the wine.

Cheers!

I am not an expert, merely a wine enthusiast sharing my thoughts and experiences. Feel free to share your own experiences at wineenthusiastja@gmail.com