“If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you. When mountains crumble to the sea, there will still be you and me.” Thank You, Robert Plant, 1969 Led Zeppelin II

“But since you been gone I can breathe for the first time; I’m so moving on, yeah, yeah” Since You’ve Been Gone, Kelly Clarkson, 2004 Breakaway

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow. For some that means being “swept off your feet” of the mushy romance movies. For others it is a day of anger, bitterness, and resentment of break up movies. For those of us who have been with the same partner or spouse for decades and have grown kids it really does not mean much at all. However, I am always up for an opportunity for good food and wine. So whether or not Cupid’s arrow has its sights on you Valentine’s Day can be a day to celebrate. Furthermore, rather than going on out and spending a ridiculous amount of money on food and wine, why not create a delicious food and wine pairing at home. Not sure what to make? Have no fear this month’s Wine Pairing Weekend group is here to help!

Château Font-Mars 2014 Picpoul de Pinet: Soft gold; stone fruit, citrus, stone fruit, and white floral notes; aromas are met by pronounced flavors of graphite and crushed stone; lively with layers of flavors, crisp acidity that penetrates the palate, coats the mouth and leaves a long, dry finish. Picpoul is considered the Muscadet of the south; this wine is crafted of grapes grown a few short meters from oyster beds of the Bassin de Thau it is perfect pairing with seafood and shellfish; Picpoul in French means “lip stinger” due to its high acidity; a perfect food wine! SRP $9-13

The Picpoul paired beautifully with Cajun Halibut with Praline Sauce over Dirty Rice. It was a fun and delicious dish with racy Cajun spices paired with the sweet praline sauce. I highly recommend the recipe; especially paired with the Picpoul because the wine was able to tame the Cajun zest while creating a crisp accompaniment to the delicate halibut. Furthermore, it paired very well with our shrimp and cocktail sauce appetizer! It is such a perfect wine to pair with fish and spice!

Gerard Bertrand Crémant de Limoux Brut 2013: 70% Chardonnay, 15% Chenin Blanc, 10% Mauzac, and 5% Pinot Noir; dazzling golden yellow; lively aromas of golden apples, pears, white floral notes, and honey drizzled on warm toast; liveliness follows through on the palate with vivacious bubbles, crisp and round acidity, fresh and clean with a long and pleasing finish; truly a lovely bottle of bubbles; 12.5% alcohol; This wine is a tribute from Gerard Bertrand to Thomas Jefferson, the most French of American presidents. He was Limoux’s greatest admire, and he discretely cultivated his love for France and for Limoux sparkling wine. In fact, wine from Limoux was the only sparkling wine to be found in his personal wine cellar. SRP $12-25

The Crémant paired perfectly with the Cherry (and blueberry) Mini Heart Pies and vanilla bean ice cream we enjoyed for dessert. A delicious conclusion to a great meal!

For more great food and wine pairing ideas please visit my fellow #WinePW weekend friends’ web sites:

Jade from Tasting Pour:

– Love Letter Pastries and Brandborg Winery Pinot Noir

-Cherry Hazelnut Scones

Jeff from Food Wine Click – Perfect Wine for a Sparkling Valentine’s Day Celebration

Martin of Enofylz Wine Blog – Valentine’s Surf and Turf with a Twist and Champagne Pairing

Nancy from Pull That Cork – Shepherd’s Pie and Burgundy: A Cozy Valentine’s Day Pairing

Kirsten of The Armchair Sommelier – My Squashy Valentine

Jennifer from Vino Travels – Sparkle Your Valentine’s Day with Brachetto from the Roero with Demarie

David of Cooking Chat –

–Cauliflower Kale Soup paired with Pinot

-Sweet Strawberry Cream with Chocolate and Wine Pairing

Sarah from Curious Cuisiniere – Gougeres (French Cheese Puffs) and Blanquette de Limoux

Cindy from Grape Experiences:

– A Valentine’s Gift: Elegant Anaba Wines

–Cava and Crave Worthy Chocolate Cookies for Valentine’s Day

Lori from Draceana Wines – Need a Valentine’s Wine? As You Wish.

Diana from Wine Pass shares – Valentine Risotto and Rich Chocolate Beet Cake with Brachetto d’Acqui

Valerie of Girls Gotta Drink – A Moscato Food Pairing: #Moscato for Breakfast

Wendy from A Day in the Life on A Farm – Asian Tuna and Noodles with Rodney Strong Pinot Noir

Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla :

-Cherry-Glazed Chicken with Hahn’s Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir

-Barley Stuffed Acorn Squash & Zesty Crayfish with Landmark Vineyards’ Overlook Chardonnay

-Wild Boar Mushroom Pot Pies with Landmark Vineyards’ Overlook Pinot Noir

-Seared Venison Medallions with Justin’s Cabernet Sauvignon

-Rosé-Cured Salmon with Balletto Vineyards’ Brut Rosé

-Epoisses, Crackers, & Cremant de Limoux

Christy from Confessions of a Culinary Diva:

-Valentine’s Day Steakhouse Dinner at Home

-50 Oysters a Day & Other Tales of Seduction

-Pick a Picpoul de Pinet for Your Valentine

-Smokin’ Duck & Pinot

-Valentine’s Take-In Dinner

-Apple of My Eye Pork Chops & Pinot

-Lobster, Corn Fritters & Balletto

If you read this in time please join our Valentine’s Day food and wine pairing chat at 10CST using #WinePW then print out these recipes and head to your local grocer and wine merchant to craft your own delicious meal!

 My Song Selection: Sadly I am not spending this Valentine’s Day with my loving husband. I am in Montpellier, France attending the ViniSud 2016 Mediterranean Wine and Spirits Expo. Considering I am featuring two wines from the South of France I suppose it is apropos I am spending Valentine’s Day in this region. However, Led Zeppelin and this song have a lot of special meaning in our marriage. So I send this beautiful song to him across the miles.

Create your own delicious Valentine’s Day food and wine pairing with Languedoc and Sud De France wine and let me know what song you pair with it. Cheers!