Nine high street wines for Valentine’s Day

Left it too late to order wine online ahead of Valentine's Day? It’s time to hit the high street, writes Terry Kirby

(The Independent )

Valentine’s Day – or at least the run up to it – has taken on a slightly weird tone this year, with my inbox full of every type of V Day-related marketing wheezes. Wines, beers and cocktails I get, natch, flowers and cakes as well … but baby clothes? Dog blankets? Err, no.

What this year, of all years, should be about is hunkering down with a loved one and enjoying some fine food and wine, perhaps with a nice roaring fire, and celebrating our survival (while also raising a glass to those who have lost their loved ones over the past year).  And remembering also that many of us, for differing pandemic reasons, cannot be with our special one tomorrow or any time soon.  

But back to those marketing emails, all of which seem to be about something pink. This, of course, means that cheering pink sparkling is the theme of this week’s column. We start with the feverish excitement about the big new arrival on the sparkling wine scene – and we are not talking here about new vintage premium marque champagnes or elegantly upmarket English sparkling releases. I am instead referring to this being the first V-Day since the approval by the Italian wine authorities last year of … ta da … Pink Prosecco.

Basically, it’s the normal prosecco grape glera with some added pinot noir to produce the pink colour, and, already, our supermarket shelves are literally awash with it.

Most are of similar quality but, of the many I’ve tasted, the standouts are the Prosecco Rose Brut Millesmato (£8.00 marksandspencer.com) which is fabulously dry and precise with real pinot character, the slightly more elegantly bottled Corte Molino DOC Pink Prosecco (£8.50 Co-op stores) and the Valdo Marca Oro Prosecco Rose (£7.50 Sainsburys). All are nicely refreshing sparklers that would be perfectly fine as an aperitif or to accompany some fried fish or, better still, prawns or lobster.  

We are staying very much with high street retailers this week since it’s going to be too late today to order any online deliveries but if, by any chance, you have an Ocado slot today or tomorrow, you might want to consider a somewhat more glamorous take on sparkling Italian in the shape of the glitteringly bottled Bottega Rose Gold (£21.99, until 16 February, normally £25.99 ocado.com). This is also a glera/pinot combination but is not able to be called prosecco because it comes from Lombardy, outside the approved Veneto region, and the more premium price denotes, they say, the higher quality of grapes used. Whatever, it is fun and enlivening.

And while you are deep-diving into Ocado or visiting your local Tesco today, you might also consider another nattily bottled sparkler, the Vilarnau Rose Reserva Cava (£9.60 until 16 February, normally £12.00 ocado.com; £12.00 tesco.com). The label takes stylistic inspiration from Barcelona, which lies in the heart of Cava country: dry, with lovely red berry fruit flavours and the kind of bottle to start the cava revival we need. Drink as an aperitif or, as the Catalans do, with slices of serrano ham on tomato rubbed toasted country bread. 

(The Independent)

The sparkling wines of the Loire are often overlooked by domestic consumers but they deliver fabulous quality at affordable prices. In Majestic, the Bouvet Samur Rose Brut (£13.99 or £11.99 if bought as part of mixed six bottle purchase majestic.co.uk), made from cabernet franc using the champagne method, is delightfully light and zesty, with fresh raspberry and cherry flavours.

Further down France to Bordeaux, the Cremant de Bordeaux Rose (£9.00 marksandspencer.com), also made in the champagne style with a little cabernet franc added to merlot, has lovely brioche and strawberry flavours and might be just as suitable for a chocolate-y dessert as an aperitif. 

If you are looking to splash out a little more, the supermarket shelves are bursting with all kinds of rose and white sparkling wines – the choice has never been wider. One of the newer English sparkling wines also gets my heart shaped emoji this V-Day, the award winning Digby Fine English Leander Pink NV (£30.00 waitrose.com) made in the South Downs mainly from pinot noir with some supporting pinot meunier and chardonnay. It is bursting with the essence of English summer fruits.

Finally, if you have left it too late to shop or are having to stay at home, as many of us are, you can ensure you do not miss out by getting a bottle delivered to your door tomorrow, if ordered today (or even within two hours in London, if ordered tomorrow). The Finest Bubble delivery service has a wide range of champagne and sparkling wines on its books, including classic, premium champagne like the excellent Charles Heidsieck Brut Rose NV (£58 thefinestbubble.com). Just another way of getting a little sparkle into our lives this weekend – something I think we all urgently need, whether it’s for V-Day or not.