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Say it with rose and malbec

By Fred Tasker, McClatchy Newspapers, Source: MCT News Service

Cupid's holiday has always been a day of wine and roses. I can't help you with the flowers, but some wines are better suited to Valentine's Day than others.

The ultimate, naturally, is pink champagne. If you're ever going to look her/him in the eyes and profess love, there's nothing like bubbly rose to help you muster the courage.

It could be a $60 French champagne with its fine, tiny bubbles and flavors of cranberries and cream or a $9 Spanish cava with its big, sturdy bubbles and tart strawberry flavors. You pour a glass, clear your throat and begin, "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways ..."

But other wines can work as well. There's a deep, dark, violet-scented malbec from Argentina with a painting of passionate tango dancers on the label. What's more romantic than that? There's a sweet, bubbly moscato with roses on its label called "il vino dell'amore and a French beaujolais named "Saint amour," or "Saint love."

There's even a white zinfandel with the crisp tartness and balance to deflect the opprobrium aimed at most of its ilk. Also, crisp and tangy sauvignon blancs that are perfect with raw oysters. And you know what they say about raw oysters. (The most romantic method: Drop an oyster into a rocks glass, pour in a dollop of sauvignon blanc and drink it as a shooter.)

For the end of your tryst there's port, the powerful red dessert wine that's perfect with that other requisite of love _ chocolate. Or strawberries. Or strawberries dipped in chocolate.

The chocolate with which it goes best is bittersweet. And how appropriate is that?

Highly recommended:

Nonvintage Chateau Taittinger Prestige Rose Champagne, Reims, France: vivid light pink hue, lots of active, tiny bubbles, aromas and flavors of cranberries and cream; $60.

Nonvintage "Rosa Regale," Sparkling Dolce Red Wine, by Banfi, Italy: From the brachetto grape, it has lots of big bubbles and aromas and flavors of sweet roses and black raspberries; $17.

Recommended:

Nonvintage Petalo "Il Vino dell' Amore," Moscato Spumante by Bottega: soft, sweet and fizzy, with ripe peach flavors; $17.

2009 Sensual Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina: deep violet color, floral aromas, flavors of black cherries and milk chocolate, smooth; $11.

Nonvintage "ChocoVine," Holland, "The taste of Dutch chocolate and fine red wine," says the label. Sweet and creamy, it tastes like what it is _ chocolate milk with red wine added; $11.

2010 Beringer White Zinfandel, California; lightly sweet, with strawberry aromas and flavors and a tart citrus finish; $8.

2009 Mercer Sauvignon Blanc, Yakima Valley, Wash.: crisp and light, with flavors of melons and minerals; $15.

2009 Georges Duboeuf "St. Amour," Cru Beaujolais, France: floral aromas, flavors of tart cherries and spice, light-bodied and crisp; $13.

Nonvintage Segura Viudas Rose Cava sparkling wine, Spain: bright pink hue, big, lively bubbles, intensely fruity aroma, tart red berry flavors; $9.

Nonvintage Sandman's Ruby Port, Portugal: brilliant red color, spicy, lively sweet red plum and chocolate flavors; $11.

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     (Contact Fred Tasker: ftasker@MiamiHerald.com)

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