Joyeuse Saint Valentin! In France, Valentine’s Day is for lovers.

Like in the US, the French celebrate love with chocolate, roses, jewelry, etc. However, unlike in the US there is no exchange of cards among school children or friends; Valentine’s Day is reserved for lovers. I want Valentine’s Day to be for lovers in France. I have been blessed to visit some of the world’s greatest cities and I think Paris is the most romantic city I have ever visited. Even the French language is a language of love. “Je t’aime” sounds much more romantic than “I love you.” So what better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day with the one you love than with French wine.

The French Winophiles are taking cues from the French as we embrace this day of lovers with French wines. Personally, whether you have a lover or not, any day is a good day for French wine. The following wines are from four different French wine regions. They are all delicious, diverse, and affordable.

Here are four delicious wine and food pairings perfect for Valentine’s Day, or any day!  If you are paleo, pescatarian, poultriatarian, or a meat lover, I have a pairing for you!

2016 Famille Bougrier Pure Loire Rose d’Anjou Loire Valley France ($13.99, a Total Wine exclusive): A blend of Gamay, Grolleau, and Cabernet Franc; pale salmon in the glass; medium inviting aromas of stone fruit, orange blossom, and strawberry cream; crisp and refreshing on the palate with a kiss of sweetness with balanced medium+ acidity; really fun and lively wine; thoroughly enjoyable and a great find. Click here to learn more about Famille Bougrier, if you speak French.

I paired this wine with Whole 30 Paleo Orange Chicken with Cauliflower Rice. I am not a paleo eater but I do like good food. This recipe is truly delicious. The instructions are lacking in ways but who needs instructions. I highly recommend this recipe and this pairing was out of this world delicious!

2017 Domaine Perrier & Fils Apremont Gastronomie Fleur de Jacquère Savoie France ($13): Crafted of 100% Jacquère; medium gold in the glass; medium+ aromas of lemon zest, lime juice, under-ripe pineapple, white nectarine, acacia, lemon blossom, and saline; high acidity, medium body, palate a balance of salinity and wet stone with tart lemon; mouth-puckering, refreshingly elegant and delicious, a wowza of a wine. Click here to learn more about Domaine Jean Perrier & Fils.

This wine begs for shellfish and seafood. If you can get a hold of oysters or clams, this is your wine. However, I am short on time right now so I picked up poke bowl from a local restaurant for an awesome pairing. I would drink this wine everyday and was great with the salmon and tuna in the poke bowl.

2016 Vignerons de Bel-Air Saint-Amour Cru de Beaujolais ($18.99): Crafted of 100% Gamay; medium ruby in the glass; medium aromas of red cherry, currant, blueberry, strawberry, baking spice, violets, mushrooms, chocolate, dusty earth; a medium body wine with medium acidity and tannins; flavors include bright red fruit, roses, forest floor, and spice, medium finish; bright wine, easy to drink and enjoy, pairs easily with food, lovely. How could you resist a wine from Saint-Amour for Valentine’s Day? Click here to learn more about Vignerons de Bel-Air.

Because Beaujolais tends to be a fruitier wine with lower tannins and body it makes a lovely red for a little spice. I paired this wine with Moroccan Saffron Chicken that I cooked in my Tagine. Another great pairing. You will love this recipe, especially paired with this wine. No Tagine? No problem! A slow cooker or dutch oven works well.

2013 Vidal-Fleury Côte-Rôtie Brune & Blonde de Vidal-Fleury ($72): Crafted of 95% Syrah and 5% Viognier; medium+ ruby in the glass; medium+ rich aromas of black cherry, blackberry, plum, black currant, black pepper, baking spice, crushed violets, tobacco, slate; medium+ tannins, acidity, body and flavor. Warning, I am biased because Northern Rhone Syrahs are some of my favorite wines. This wine in no way disappoints, it is rich and elegant, bold and refined, I could drink it for hours. Love in a bottle! Click here to learn more about Vidal-Fleury.

And now, the pièce de résistance. I paired this gorgeous Northern Rhone Syrah with Beef Bourguignon with green beans almondine and thyme-rosemary potatoes. It was an epic dinner and truly perfect for Valentine’s Day.

For more French wine and food ideas to celebrate La Saint-Valentin read more from the #Winophiles:

Camillia at Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares “L’Amour dans une Bouteille ou Quatre”

Susannah Gold from Avvinare tells us about “Love in the Rhone Valley”

L.M. Archer at binNotes shares “The Hedonistic Taster | № 36 | #Winophiles + Love: L’Amour du Patrimoine” 

Jeff at Food, Wine, Click! gives us “French Wines for ‘His’ and ‘Hers’ Valentines”

Jill from L’Occasion takes us on a sensory route “Tasting Romance: French Wine and the Senses”

David of Cooking Chat dishes up “French Wine Picks and Pairings for Valentine’s Day”

Lauren from The Swirling Dervish shares “How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Wines”

Liz from What’s in that Bottle pairs “Celebrate Galentine’s Day with French Wines & Fondue”

Gwen at Wine Predator shares “Sweethearts: French Wines and Pizza”

Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm shows us how to “Spice up your Love Life with Shrimp Etouffee”

Nicole from Somm’s Table shares “Cooking to the Wine: Domaine Chardigny Saint-Amour with Roasted Salmon and a little Romance”

Martin from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog tells us about “Celebrating L’Amour Du Vin With French Wine At The Table”

Our February host, Lynn at Savor the Harvest shares “L’Amour du vin”

 

My Song Selection:

Happy Valentine’s Day! Please join us on Saturday at 10CST on Twitter using #Winophiles to share your love and enjoyment of French wine.