Choosing Wine On Valentine’s (Or Any Other Special) Day

"How many times did I ask you,
 'Please don't forget the wine'?"

You’ve bought a present. You’ve remembered the flowers. You’ve either chosen the recipes for a dinner at home or you’re out on the town for that special night, looking to impress. Either way, you’ve got to choose: at the grocery store or from the wine list. How do you decide?

In general, there are four simple rules to keep in mind that will help guide you to the perfect wine.

Serve red wine with red meat, white wine with poultry and fish.

The wine should match the main dish, which works as long as you know whether the dish you’re serving falls into a recognizable category. It’s not too hard to figure out that beef is the king of red meats. But what’s pork? Technically, it’s a red meat too even though marketing types would have you believe it’s white. Salmon, on the other hand, with its pink color, is still a fish. Thus, it calls for white.


Here are some specific suggestions when you’re following this rule: Cabernet is great with grilled steak or virtually any type of lamb. (Yellow Tail from Australia is a good bargain at about $10.) Zinfandel is a terrific match with sausage. (I love the Rosenblum Vintner’s Cuvee and Pepperwood Zinfandel, both of which can be found for less than $10.) Chardonnay pairs with most chicken dishes while fish and sauvignon blanc love each other. (Kendall-Jackson makes dependable, easy-to-find and inexpensive versions of both.)

Serve red wine with red sauces and white wine with white sauces.

Here are some of my favorite sauce pairings: Barbera D’Asti and Chianti (or Chianti Classico) stand up to most tomato sauces without overwhelming them. (Several are available locally and not terribly expensive. Keep in mind that these are “food” wines, meaning you’re supposed to drink them with a meal. If you pour a glass to set the mood before dinner, don’t be surprised if you’re disappointed.) Sauvignon blanc cuts nicely through the richness of an alfredo sauce or any other sauce with a butter or cream base. A rich, buttery chardonnay is the perfect compliment to shrimp scampi.

Serve moderately sweet wine with spicy or hot food.

Chinese and Thai foods are both wonderful with a sweet Riesling or a spicy/sweet Gewürztraminer. Blue Moon and Columbia Crest are both terrific and inexpensive Rieslings that are widely available at the local grocery stores.


Serve wines that are from the same region as the food you’re serving.


A hearty French stew is well complimented by a French Bordeaux. Italian wine tends to marry well with Italian food. German wines are excellent with sauerbraten or sausages smothered in hot and spicy mustard. Here’s a tip: If you can’t find a German wine, try a wine with German-sounding name, such as Riesling, Muller-Thurgau or Gewürztraminer.


When you’re stumped, turn to “tried and true.”


There are a few reliable standbys that will work for almost any situation. In case of panic, try choosing from among these. The most flexible and easily available wines on the market are sauvignon blanc or Riesling among whites and pinot noir and grenache among reds. You’re unlikely to go wrong with one of these choices, regardless of what you purchase or order.

Kendall-Jackson and Chateau Ste. Michelle make reliable sauvignon blancs at about $10 a bottle. Just about any Grenache from Australia is going to be food-friendly, so look for something in your desired price range.

Like all rules, these have exceptions, but they’ll get you through 90 percent of the time. And if you don’t feel like you’re up to the task of working you’re way through the wall of wine at the grocery store or the pages of a wine list at your favorite restaurant, it’s perfectly all right to ask for advice. Chances are these simple rules and maybe a little help will help you find a winner. Or at least something that doesn’t send your date to the spit bucket.