Valentine’s Day Dinner Ideas + Wine Pairings
Recipes and wines you will fall in love with!
Who said staying in on Valentine’s Day can’t be special? Whoever you decide the spend the day with, consider cozying up at home, lighting some candles, and tackling a new recipe together! Below you will find 5 delicious dinner recipes along with perfectly paired wines. All that’s left is a trip to the grocery store and an evening to cherish forever!
Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto
Pair this fabulous butternut squash risotto with a lightly oaked Chardonnay. It will give the dish citrus and body, plus creaminess.
Mushroom Fettuccine
Piedmont goes great with anything mushroom or truffle. There are many options, but an outstanding Langhe Nebbiolo will add the acidic bite you need for the creamy sauce, plus it can get down & dirty with the mushrooms.
Our pick: Vietti Perbacco Nebbiolo delle Langhe
Garlic Butter Baked Salmon
Salmon is a fish which has more weight to it- so it calls out for Burgundy, whether it be white or red. You can go for the Bramito from above which will go great with garlic butter. If you go red, try out Pinot Noir.
Our pick: Lemelson Thea's Select Pinot Noir
Spinach-and-Artichoke Steak Roll-Ups
This is a tricky one because you want an unoaked white to go with the artichoke, but the steak is screaming red. A white with heft would be called for, so Portuguese Verdelho or go for an unoaked red.
Our picks: Fiuza Verdelho & Quinta Nova Unoaked Red
French Onion Chicken
Cotes du Rhone pairs great with French Onion. The Domaine Grand Veneur 'Les Champauvins' matches this dish with smooth tannins eating up the butter and cheese while the black cherry accents the sweetness of the onions.
Our pick: Domaine Grand Veneur Côtes du Rhône Les Champauvins
Not in love yet?
If you’re looking for something else, sparkling wines go wonderfully with just about all of these dishes. The Spinach-and-Artichoke Steak Roll-Ups call for lighter versions, like Bisol Jeio Prosecco Brut, while the rest all could do with some weight, like you'd get from Graham Beck Brut. Sparkling rosé is another great option, try out Gruet Brut Rosé.
