Top 12 Valentine's Day wines
Make 14th February 2010 a special date
Sara Schwarz
Cellar door at Brown Brothers, Milawa, King Valley, Victoria is ideal for leisurely wine tasting [©Brown Brothers]
This Valentine's Day if you are looking to impress, to celebrate or simply to share a good bottle with the one you love, we have some great suggestions for you.
Here are some favourites from the VisitVineyards.com team.
It’s the bubbles of nothing … that make it really something
- For a fun and summery bottle of bubbles, it is hard to go past the Brown Brothers Zibbibo NV at $14.29 (VIP price - more than 6 bottles - A$12.99), packed full of summer fruit flavours, the passionfruit and melon aromas almost leap out of your glass. Read more and buy online now »
- Looking for a touch of pink this Valentines Day? Then consider the Kriter Rose NV from France for $14.29 (VIP price A$12.99). Raspberry aromas and some well-balanced acidity make this a perfect accompaniment to croissants in bed in the morning. A truly delicious way to start the day. Read more and buy online now »
- For those with a passion for sparkling reds, the Grant Burge Sparkling Shiraz Cabernet NV at $24.19 (VIP price A$21.99) is the quintessential sparkling red. Complex, rich and utterly delicious, this is perfect for a lunchtime barbeque or a pre-dinner aperitif. Read more and buy online now »
- The Sir James Pinot Noir Chardonnay Pinot Meunier 2000 at $48.39 (VIp price A$44.99) is a truly stunning bottle of bubbles. This ultra premium sparkling has some excellent bottle age and is sure to impress. Read more and buy online now »
- If you want to celebrate or to really spoil your Valentine this year, the Bollinger La Grande Annee 1999 for $230.99 (VIP price A$210) is a magnificent example of true Champagne from the Bollinger stable. Majestic, rich and complex, Champagne doesn’t get much better than this. Read more and buy online now »
Let’s get wild
- New Zealand’s Wild South Sauvignon Blanc 2009 for $15.99 is a wonderful example of Sauvignon Blanc from the famed Marlborough region. Concentrated citrus and tropical fruit characters. Read more and buy online now »
- For those who appreciate a rounder body, the Yalumba Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2008 at $17.59 (VIP price A$15.99) may be just the wine for you. Yalumba has just been awarded the 2010 Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide’s Winery of the Year, and with wines like this, it’s not surprising in the least. This beautiful example of a wooded Chardonnay is rich with creamy stonefruit flavours and an elegant finish. Read more and buy online now »
The tall (and short) European
- While it is possible to cellar this beautiful riesling for another decade or so, the Schloss Saarstein Auslese 2003 at $54.99 (VIP price A$50.00) adds a touch of class to any meal and makes for some absolutely delicious drinking this summer. Its peach, honey and citrus flavours are well balanced with some slate characters. Read more and buy online now »
- This half bottle of Schloss Saarstein Eiswein 2003 375ml (ice wine: the grapes are harvested when frozen as the flavours are concentrated) is a truly delicious dessert style wine from Mosel in Germany. With a price tag of $160.59 (VIP A$149.99), this is not one for the faint of heart - however if the heart and the wallet allow, it is one you will both remember for a very long time. Read more and buy online now »
To the future
- If you are looking for something that speaks of commitment and no expense spared then the Peter Lehmann Futures Shiraz 2006 may be just the wine for the occasion. At A$299.88, this is a rich red with beautiful plum, raspberry and spice flavours, and a truly lovely wine to enjoy with one you plan to spend quite some time with. Read more and buy online »
- Or make a bold (but less expensive) statement over dinner with Stone Coast The Commitment Cabernet Sauvignon 2003, priced at A$22.99. The wine is elegant and beautifully structured, showing refined oak and varietal fruit characters. Read more and buy online »
- And finally, for those to whom money is truly no object, you may also wish to consider the Penfolds Grange 2003 Magnum 1.5L at $1869.99 per bottle (VIP A$1750). Commit this wine to your cellar now for the next decade and open it together in 2020. Now that would be something to celebrate. Long, layered and compelling - read more about this vintage and buy online. Also available in magnum is the stunning Penfolds Grange 2004, to put away for a very special anniversary »
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Now's the time to start thinking of gifts for the wine and food lovers in your life. Don't forget hinting to family and friends about your ideal gift, too. VisitVineyards.com's gift wish list has some great ideas for Christmas »
Internationally awarded wine journalist, Nick Stock has tasted his way through over 8000 wines to select the top 1200 for inclusion in this latest wine bible, the ... 2010 Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide »
Yalumba is located in Angaston in the heart of the Barossa Valley, in South Australia. Yalumba was founded in 1849 by Samuel Smith, British migrant and English brewer, ... read more
Peter Lehmann WinesPeter Lehmann Wines is one of Australia's most respected and innovative winemakers, creating wines that delight wine lovers around the globe. read more
Grant Burge WinesThe Home of Grant Burge Wines on the banks of Jacob's Creek, Barossa Valley, Tanunda, South Australia. Grant Burge is a fifth-generation Barossan vigneron and winemaker, ... read more
Wild Oats Cafe (Craigmoor Cellar, Poets Corner Wines Restaurant)The Wild Oats Café is now closed. It was the latest culinary incarnation at Craigmoor, Mudgee, Central Ranges, New South Wales, Explorer Country. read more
Brown Brothers Milawa Vineyard
Brown Brothers in Milawa, north-eastern Victoria, is one of the icons of winemaking and wine tourism in Australia. Operated in the King Valley by a pioneering winemaking ... read more
The head office of BRL Hardy Wine Company is located in Reynella, in the Fleurieu region of South Australia. read more
Penfolds Barossa Valley
Located in the heart of the Barossa Valley, north of Adelaide is the Penfolds Barossa Valley Winery and Cellar Door. Built in 1911 to expand the business home base ... read more
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