Valentine's Day, Aphrodisiacs, and Wine

Valentine's Day is coming up soon. A nice dinner with special wine and food with your significant other i'm sure would be greatly appreciated. But what wine and food to serve?

There are many foods that are purported to be an aphrodisiac:

• oysters on the half shell,
• asparagus,
• cheese, and
• chocolate.

There are more, but i'll give you a bit of info on these and some pairings you may want to consider. Oysters are an aphrodisiac due to their shape similar to a woman's genitals, but also because they contain zinc which which promotes well being. Try pairing oysters with some bubble. You may enjoy:

• Moreson, Blanc de Blancs Brut Method Cap Classic, South Africa. This is 100% Chardonnay. A very fine bubble. Red apple, citrus, light spice and bready flavour. Long finish. Nice.
• Cuillier Pere et Fils, Brut Selection Pinot Noir / Chardonnay, France. Fine bubble with green apple and pear aromas. Lemon and pear flavours. This wine was like enjoying a fresh pear. Very tasty!

The asparagus of course visually is a phallic symbol, and visual excitement can be part of being an aphrodisiac. Try pairing it with:

• Cremaschi Furlotti Pinot Noir from Chile. A wonderful bouquet of violets. Light bodied with some acidity. The floweriness of the Pinot Noir grape is an aphrodisiac in itself.
• Miguel Torres Cabernet Sauvignon Rose, also from Chile. This one has a bouquet of cherries, which continues on the palate. Some spiciness and a balance of acidity with sweetness.

In European culture, cheese is said by some to resemble the scent of a woman. Italian culture views cheese as an aphrodisiac, much like chocolate. Some cheeses would be a fresh goat cheese, a brie/camembert, and maybe a bit stronger cheese such as a Quebec Oka. Remember that cheese right out of the fridge has little aroma. Leave the cheese out for a few hours so that it warms up and those aphrodisiac aromas can come out. A few wines:

• Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rose from South Africa. Mulderbosch rose shows some typical cabernet flavours and aromas, but without the big tannins that one get with a red wine.
• Amayna Sauvignon Blanc from Chile. Citrus and tropical fruit flavours with some oakiness on the bouquet due to barrel fermentation. The wine had a very round mouthfeel with just the right amount of acidity to cut through the fat in the cheese.

Chocolate contains both a sedative, which relaxes and lowers inhibitions, and a stimulant to increase activity and the desire for physical contact. A red wine and/or a dessert red wine would go well here.

• Buller Old Fine Muscat, Rutherglen, Australia (dessert wine). Medium dark amber-coloured Muscat has aromas of toffee and marmalade. This Muscat has enough body and flavour to balance with the richness of chocolate (and chocolate cake)
• Poplar Grove Merlot, British Columbia 2005. Light garnet in colour. Cherry, cassis and leather nose. Big cherry flavour with some vanilla. Medium tannin and length.

I find that the roundness and fruitiness of Merlot and it's softer tannins make it a nice varietal to pair with chocolate. In my opinion 72% cocoa is about the right amount of cocoa for me. When you get into the 90% range, it gets a bit gritty.

I hope you are able to find some inspiration in these suggestions. Enjoy Valentine's Day!

Vancouver Island Wineries

When most people think of wineries and wine in BC, they think Okanagan. But, there are many wineries located on Vancouver Island as well as some of the Gulf Islands. The wines from these wineries tend to be "cool climate", which means that you will primarily get white wines and reds, e.g. Pinot Noir, as the temperatures do not get as warm as they do in the interior of BC. You would not find a Shiraz for example on Saltspring Island, at least until global warming heats things up a bit more.

Below are some links to wineries on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, along with web links to them. Just click on the name of the winery to get more information on it (a few of the wineries do not have links).

Alderlea Vineyards

Averill Creek Vineyard

Beaufort Vineyard & Estate Winery

Blue Grouse Vineyards

Carbrea Vineyard, Winery & Cottage

Chase & Warren Estate Winery

Cherry Point Vineyards

Church & State Wines Ltd.

Deol Estate Winery

Divino Estate Winery

Dragonfly Hill Vineyard

Echo Valley Vineyards

Gabriola Island Winery

Garry Oaks Winery

Glenterra Vineyards

Godfrey Brownell Vineyards

Honeymoon Bay Blackberry Winery

Malahat Winery

Marley Farm Winery

Merridale Ciderworks, Bistro and Distillery

Middle Mountain Mead

Morning Bay Vineyards

Mountain Creek Winery

Muse Winery

Rocky Creek Winery

Salt Spring Vineyards

Saturna Island Winery

Sea Cider Vintage Cidery

Silverside Farm & Winery

Starling Lane Winery

Tugwell Creek Honey Farm & Meadery

Twenty Two Oaks Winery

Venturi-Schulze Vineyards

Zanatta Winery