Valentine's Day. While flowers are never a bad option, wine and
wine-related gifts can be even more romantic and put a real exclamation
point on your affection.


The challenge is finding the right bottle of wine for that special
person in your life. With that in mind, here is my list of romantic
favorites that should please your Valentine. (And, just because it's
"pink" doesn't mean white Zinfandel is the answer!)

White Can Be Right

To choose the right wine for a romantic gift you need to know
something about the tastes of your mate. For those who favor white
wine, consider a nice Chardonnay or even Sauvignon Blanc.

The Chardonnay is a more complex wine with hints of butter and
oak. Great Chardonnays are very drinkable but also seem a bit heavy for
more social wine drinkers. That said, Chardonnays are a great pick for
the more seasoned white wine lover.

My tastes take me right to the top of the list and the Far Niente Chardonnay.
Probably $45 to $60 at your local wine store, Napa's Far Niente crafts
a very smooth yet complex Chardonnay. From the initial taste to the
finish on the palate, the buttery nature of this exceptional Chardonnay
is very noticeable but not overwhelming.

The great characteristic of the Far Niente Chardonnay is its
subtleties. While the buttery overtones are clear, they are not
intrusive. And, the hint of oak is distinct but not overwhelming like
so many of today's less complex Chardonnays.

In addition, you get a great label and bottle that tells a story. One
of the hallmarks of my wine gifting is including a brief description of
the vineyard from which it came. Now, I'm not suggesting touting the Wine Spectator
or Parker score of a particular wine (that's a bit snobbish for me)
but, rather, a bit of history of the winery or the winemaking process
of the gift. Most of the time, it's as easy as finding a winery's web site.

For those who think a Chardonnay is too complex, consider a nice
Sauvignon Blanc. A lighter wine, typically finished in stainless
barrels to give it slightly more acidic tendencies, the Sauvignon Blanc
(sometimes marketed as Fume Blanc) is usually full of lemongrass-like
flavors. Many Sauvignon Blancs will have a somewhat fruity bouquet but
will drink relatively dry.

Duckhorn Vineyards provides a solid and safe entry in the Sauvignon Blanc category, as does the traditional Mondavi label. In addition, Mantazas Creek,
a Sonoma vineyard, which has been reviewed in this column before, is
also a nice option here. All of these wines are affordable -- between
$20 to $40 a bottle at your local wine merchant.

Red Is the Color of the Day

While white wines make nice gifts, red is a great choice for
Valentine's Day. And a traditional Cabernet Sauvignon or meritage -- a
unique blend of red varietals -- will do the trick just about every
time.

I have written extensively on many of my favorite Cabernets so I will be brief here. I absolutely love receiving a bottle of Silver Oak Cabernet,
either the Napa Valley or Alexander Valley offerings. The Napa offering
is the bolder and "bigger" of the two, with nice tannins and bold
flavor both as it is introduced to the palate and as it finishes. There
aren't many things more appealing for Valentine's Day than a bottle of
Silver Oak and an offering of fine chocolates. For those looking for a
slightly softer, less complex Cabernet, the Alexander Valley offering
is perfect. Expect to spend $50 to $90 on a bottle of Silver Oak; the
Napa offerings from 1997-99 are at the top end of that range.

A name I haven't mentioned before that would make a very nice treat is one of the offerings from Heitz Cellars.
Another Napa winery, Heitz makes a handful of different Cabernets that
fit in the "big and complex" categories. Tannic and full of fruit,
these wines, especially the Martha's Vineyard offerings from the late
1990s, are great drinking wines today. Heitz wines will run anywhere
from $35 to $100, depending on vintage and vineyard.

And, before you ask, here's my take on bubbly as a gift:
It's nice, it's meaningful and it is sure to make your mate smile, but
it is also overdone. While I am a champagne lover, unique and special
wines just make more sense to me as a gift. But, again, it's all about
preference.

Other Heartfelt Wine Gifts

Wine is a great gift but some might argue it's too routine. And with
the importance of romance on Valentine's Day, it's time to step it up
and be, well, romantic. So here are my more exotic wine-related gift
ideas.

Call your favorite upscale restaurant and ask them to put
together a private wine dinner for you. Most restaurants, with the
appropriate notice, will put together a special menu for eight or more
people that can turn an ordinary culinary outing into a great wine
adventure.

Pick
a restaurant with a good wine list and a proprietor with a solid
working knowledge of the wines, tell them what you want to do and,
presto, you have a dinner party fit for you, your spouse and six of
your closest friends. You set the price parameters and food and drink
preferences and let the restaurant do the rest. (A tip, literally: Make
sure you compensate your hosts and servers
at the restaurant appropriately for their efforts. If you do that the
first time, you will have made friends for life and assure you will
always be welcome!)

A step beyond is to plan a trip to wine country. While for
most people that would mean California, it could also mean the Pacific
Northwest, New York, or even Virginia, a very underappreciated state for wines. An ideal trip is to make reservations at a place like Bernardus,
a winery and lodge/spa near Carmel, Calif., that can provide the
complete package: a great winery and vineyard tour, a pampering trip to
the spa and a dining experience among the best you will find anywhere.

However, a trip to the Napa or Sonoma regions provides a
bevy of quaint yet sophisticated lodging opportunities from small bed
and breakfasts to full-service resorts. Take a long weekend, set up two
to three private vineyard trips per day and enjoy the countryside.

Whatever your choice, have a Happy Valentine's Day. Let us begin the tradition of making this holiday a time for wine and roses!