Valentine's Day Wine Menu

Valentine's Day is not merely a date on the calendar- it is a mood, a moment, a lingering glance across the table as candlelight dances against crystal stemware. It calls for bubbles that whisper celebration and rosés that blush like first love.

Here at Living the Gourmet, we believe wine should not only be tasted, but felt. We believe each sip tells a story of place, passion, and pairing.

Our Valentine's Day Wine Menu has been carefully curated to feature our favored sparkling wines and rosés that embody romance in its many forms: playful, elegant, indulgent, and enduring. So, whether you are planning a candlelit dinner for two, a galentine's gathering, or a quiet night of self-love, these wines offer a perfect companion. Each bottle is graceful enough to impress, yet approachable enough to enjoy without pretense.

A Love Letter in Every Glass

Few things set the tone for romance quite like the sound of a cork gently releasing its hold. Here are the featured highlights of our menu, along with pairings and notes:

Champagne

Made primarily from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, this French wine develops its signature effervescence from its secondary fermentation that occurs in the sealed bottle.

It's a classic choice for a reason. Champagne is elegance bottled with fine bubbles, bright acidity, and layers of complex notes that cut through richness, cleansing the palate and heightening flavors, making it ideal for indulgent Valentine's menus. Here are some of our favorite selections from the cellar:

Brut Royal - Hailing from the esteemed Champagne House of Pommery, located in Reims, France, this bottle of Brut Royal is the essence of the Pommery style: liveliness, fresh, finesse. With an equally agreeable price point for this sophistocated Champagne, it's a bright choice.
Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut Champagne - Richer than Pommery Brut with its full-bodied yet vibrant profile, this bonafide crowd favorite also features an agreeable price range that can be sold for under $50.
Dom Pérignon - Due to its rich history and prestigious technique, this vintage line reflects a specific year's harvest, never a non-vintage blend.

Perfect Pairings:

Baked Brie with Jam in Puff Pastry - Rich, creamy brie is baked into a flaky pastry shell with sweet strawberry preserves and spicy chili crisp for a layered appetizer that is rich and elegant. A flute of champagne will perfectly balance the complexity of each bite.
French Cheese Board - To complete the theme of French delicacies, this cheese board features a variety of rich, creamy cheeses that will melt in your mouth.
Classic Shrimp Cocktail - Mouthwatering buttery shrimp with a cocktail sauce is another favorite pairing. This is ease and elegance defined.
Chocolate Covered Strawberries - If you're looking for something rich and sweet, these chocolate-covered strawberries are the perfect addition to a romantic evening.

Prosecco

Unlike its French counterpart, Prosecco hails from Italy. Made from Glera grapes it gets its sweet, delicate bubbles from the Charmat method. Prosecco tends to be sweeter with fruity and floral notes taking centerstage finished with light-bodied fizz.

Prosecco's softer bubbles and fruit-forward profile make it ideal for casual romance and early-evening toasts. Here are few from LTG's very own wine cellar that we favor and are delightfully affordable:

Valdo's 1926 Cuvée - The 1926 is classified as 'extra dry' while still holding onto its ribe aroma and moderate softness.
Valdo Marco Oro Prosecco - Another fine selection from Valdo- the Marco Oro's fruity notes of apple and pear can make it seem slightly sweeter than other very dry types but it is still a brut. It's harmonious and well-balanced.
Mionetto Prosecco - One of the more popular proseccos of the region, Mionetto stands out because it offers a variety of delicious wines ranging from fresh Proseccos, signature Bruts, and delightful Rosés.

Perfect Pairings:

Melon Salad - The sweet, refreshing taste of Prosecco evokes scenes of a summer in Italy. Therefore, it only makes sense for the menu to match. Think fruit- particularly melon tossed with cheese or wrapped in prosciutto since the salt cuts through the sweetness, adding depth and richness.
Marinated Jarlsberg Antipasto Board - One of my favorite appetizers to date has been marinated cheese. Our antipasto board would be a great choice to pair with any of these proseccos.
Grilled Peach and Jalapeno Crostini - Sweet, spicy, and just a hint of salt is everything you could want in a bite-sized appetizer.
Lemon Curd Ice Cream - Harkening back to our Italian coast vision board, this refreshing, creamy dessert is even more delicious with something bubbly.

Crémant

Often overlooked, Crémant is Champagne's quietly confident cousin- crafted using the same traditional method but produced in specific regions outside of Champagne, France. Because of this, Crémant can often offer a better price point (some under $25).

There is much to understand about Crémant, and though I won't cover all of it here, there are eight varietals to know of: Crémant d'Alsace, Crémants de Loire, Crémant de Bourgogne, Crémant du Jura, Crémant de Die, Crémant de Savoie, Crémant de Limoux, and even Crémant de Bordeaux, covering all of France.

Now, we're biased towards some regions, so here are our selected Crémant:

Crémant d'Alsace - Alsace is a region in France that caters primarily to white wine. We have covered this region extensively here on LTG. Pierre Sparr offers a fresh, elegantly structured dry brut.
Crémant de Bourgogne - Burgundy produces another favorable Crémant that pairs nicely with appetizers or lighter meals. Louis Bouillot produces a favorable sparkling Crémant fusing four different grape varieties for structure and vinosity.
Crémant de Bordeaux - Home to fruity whites and delicious Rosés, Bordeaux is one of my favorite regions. Celene offers a dynamic variety of Crémant from Bruts to Rosés, boasting both an excellent score and most agreeable price.

Perfect Pairings:

Stuffed Mushrooms - Balanced and refined, Crémant brings sophistication without the formality. We love it with savory bite-sized appetizers or light meals for picking. Our stuffed mushrooms are easy and satisfying.
Savory Tomato Phyllo Tart - For a light, casual meal that still feels special, our tomato tart is what you're looking for. The flaky, buttery phyllo offers a slight indulgence to this simple yet flavorful dish.
Charcuterie Board - Charcuteries were meant for casual fine dining. It follows the quality over quantity rule and will create an unforgettable experience with a smooth glass of bubbly to wash it down.

Rosé Sparkling Wine

Rosé is not a modern invention, though it may feel like this pale pink variety is a new phenomenon. Long before wine was divided by color or convention, pale pink wines flowed from ancient Mediterranean vineyards. In Provence, where rosé has been crafted for centuries, it became a quiet emblem of elegance: sunlit, restrained, and endlessly food-friendly.

In recent years, rosé has risen once more, shedding novelty for nuance. What was once considered seasonal has become timeless, celebrated for its versatility, its delicate balance of freshness and depth, and its ability to move effortlessly from aperitif to dinner companion. Rosé does not demand attention-it invites it. A wine of grace rather than grandeur, it captures the romance of now while carrying the wisdom of centuries in every softly blushed glass.

Côtes de Provence - Côtes de Provence is the largest appellation in southeastern France, and any rosé with this seal means it is a dry wine containing very little residual sugar per liter. It offers a smooth suppleness that is counterbalanced by an underlying crispness. One of our recent features from Vera Wang offers a chic, clean, and refreshing bottle that will surely leave an impression.
San Felice Rosato - While Provence has set the golden standard on rosés, Italy's 'rosato' offers a broader spectrum from light and fruity to richer, full-bodied varieties. San Felice's Rosato opens with a bouquet of fresh summer fruit that is set against a vibrant acidity and pleasant minerality.
La Crema Winery Pinot Noir Rosé - Finally, we're bringing it back home to the States. Out in the lush vineyards of Monterey, California, La Crema Winery has produced a rosé that is instantly refreshing, but the wine does have an acidic bite to it, with notes of lemon zest mixing with dominant cherry and strawberry notes.

Baked Salmon with Strawberry BBQ Sauce - Rosé bridges the gap between freshness and romance, offering versatility from appetizer to dessert. I love serving fish because, like the wine, it's light yet wholesome.
Arugula and Prosciutto Salad - Playing into the fruity notes and acidity of rosé, a salad like this peppery arugula toss is perfect. The salty prosciutto cuts into that acidity as well, creating a well-rounded experience.
Flourless Chocolate Cake - Chocolate and rosé to me is an iconic pairing, and can you really celebrate Valentine's Day without chocolate? Alternatively, though, if you are going for a lighter dessert, our Coconut Almond Macaroons are a perfect sweet bite to pop, and coconut may become your next favorite wine pairing.

Serving Romance: Simple Tips for Valentine's Day Wine

Before we close out this menu, there are just a few more notes I'd like to add to ensure your Valentine's menu is complete and unforgettable.

Chill thoughtfully: Sparkling wines shine at 45-50°F, while rosés are best around 50-55°F.
Use proper glassware: Flutes preserve bubbles, but tulip-shaped glasses enhance aroma. So yes, glassware does matter and not just for aesthetics.
Let food lead: Choose wines that elevate your menu, not overpower it. Browse the full LTG cellar for more inspiration and delicious wines. If you have any questions, reach out to us in the comment section below this post. We love hearing from you!

A Final Toast 🥂

In closing, remember, Valentine's Day is not about extravagance-it's about intention. A thoughtfully chosen wine, a lovingly prepared meal, and the willingness to pause and savor are what transform an evening into a memory.

Whether you raise a glass of Champagne to enduring love, pour a rosé to celebrate friendship, or uncork sparkling wine simply for the joy of it, may your Valentine's Day be filled with warmth, beauty, and just enough sparkle to linger long after the last sip.

From our table to yours- cheers to love, in all its delicious forms!