Hey gang, Valentines Day is coming up, so as your friendly neighborhood beer and wine shop owner, let me do a little legwork for you. Below are some of our most holiday appropriate drinks, guaranteed to not only be "on theme" but also taste pretty good too. Come find them on the barrel in the shop along with a few other holiday appropriate options.
Il Cuore - Chardonnay - Mendocino
Valentines Day Tie In: It's got a heart on the label.
What's in the bottle: A lightly oaked Chardonnay with a nice balance between the toasted oak, tropical fruit and more more tangy fruitiness like green apple.
Pairing Suggestion: Grilled shrimp. The fruity aspects of the wine will work nicely with the delicate flavor of the shrimp, and the lightly toasted oakiness will work well to compliment the blackened and seared flavors from the grilling.
Jean Vullien - Brut Rose - Savoie
Valentine's Day Tie In: It's pink, and fizzy.
What's In the Bottle: An awesome, supremely drinkable dry sparkling wine, with lots of great light berry fruit.
Pairing Suggestion: Chocolate cake. The berry flavors will play off many chocolate based desserts very well.
Clown Shoes - Date Night - Hoppy Saison
Valentine's Day Tie In: Name of the beer + smooth looking operators on the label.
What's In the Bottle: A beer with floral and spicy hoppines with some nice yeast driven earthiness.
Pairing Suggestion: This beer has a lot going on, so something bold and flavorful will work well. For a simple but great pairing, try pizza with mushrooms and spicy sausage.
Foolproof - Shuckolate
Valentine's Day Tie In: It's a chocolate stout made with oysters (yes oysters), and you know what oysters are don't you? Oh yeeeah, that's right, an aphrodisiac. Great pre-gettin' down quaff.
What's In the Bottle: A silky smooth chocolate stout with just a touch of brininess, sweet, salty, yum.
Suggested Pairing: Go with one of the ingredients of this beer, oysters. Stout is a very traditional pairing with raw oysters, and a very good one. The roasted bittersweet aspects of stout somehow work very will with the briny rich flesh of oysters.
Moonlight Meadery - Desire
Valentine's Day Tie In: The name and color (deep purple) are sexy as hell. Plus do you know why honeymoons are called honeymoons? Meade.
What's In the Bottle: A very fruity and sweet, but well balanced blend of dark fruit flavors and floral honey characteristics
Pairing Suggestion: Being essentially a dessert wine, something chocolatey would work here too. I might even go with a few assorted chocolates from that great big heart shaped box.