Happy February, the month of love! This week we celebrate Valentine’s Day which, for me anyway, always includes Wine, Flowers, Chocolates, and Music. This month I’ve been preparing for a wine tasting that pairs wine with love songs. That’s right! Love songs.
Regular readers know I’m fairly vocal about how much I dislike trying to pair wine with chocolate—or any candy for that matter—AND I’m always trying to hook you up with interesting pairings. (Check out my archives for pairings). Look, you KNOW you’re going to be drinking wine…why not cozy up with your significant other and listen to some classic love songs. At the very least, you will get to drink a great glass of wine and you won’t have to take in all those extra chocolate calories.
For those of you asking where I get my crazy ideas, this is just not that crazy. There have been many studies over the past decade that actually try to evaluate music’s effect on the enjoyment of food and wine. Recently some studies have tried to pinpoint how music effects the taste. It’s all very scientific, but you can read about it HERE.
There are as many love songs in the world as there are wines—maybe even more—so I’m just going to post the plan I have for my tasting event. I think you’ll get enough of an idea of how it works to host your own Valentine, Galentine, Palentine, or Whatevertine party you might want to host.
The wines I’ll be using for my event are all from New Mexico wineries BUT WAIT….DON’T LET THAT STOP YOU… I’m going to give you lots of options that are readily available at a retail wine shop or maybe even some you can find at your local winery.
The music comes from all eras and genres—and I’ve even included a little break-up song because…well…because. The wines are different styles (except fortified). I have sparkling wine, semi-sweet white, dry white, rosé, and red. I’m linking to the New Mexico wines and to the YouTube videos of the songs I’ve chosen. You can show the videos or not. I don’t want to add the visual component to the tasting, so I will not be showing the videos.
As my guests arrive, I’ll be greeting them with a Semi-Sweet Chenin Blanc from Shattuck Winery in the Caballo Lake area of New Mexico, south of Truth or Consequences. To start, I’m just going to play a standard Valentine’s Day playlist from Spotify. I chose a Chenin Blanc because it’s light and refreshing with just enough sweetness to whet the appetite for what’s to come. It’s a great little wine that’s not “in your face.” If you can’t find a Chenin Blanc, look for an Australian Sauvignon Blanc, or a Semi-Sweet Gewurztraminer. I love Gewurztraminer from Alsace, but there are some nice ones from New Zealand and Sonoma (California).
The Pairings
L-O-V-E by Michael Bublé. I am pairing this sweet, simple little song with La Dolce Vina, a white sparkling wine made from Moscato by Guillermo Contador at La Viña Winery in La Union, New Mexico. If you aren’t a fan of sparkling wines, get a straight up Moscato or a white Zinfandel. The key to enjoying wine with this song is to have a semi-sweet to sweet wine. If you’re not a sweet wine drinker, suck it up and try this pairing anyway. I think you’ll be surprised at how the music changes your impression.
That’s Amore from the great Dean Martin! There are so many great options for wine to be enjoyed while listening to Dean in general, but this song in particular. I’ve chosen to serve a Vermentino made by Paolo D’ Andrea, owner of Luna Rossa Winery in Deming, NM. Vermentino is a great, light-to-medium bodied white wine, but might not be easily available. I put it in my lineup because I wanted to introduce my guests to this particular grape which I have become quite fond of. Vermentino can have a lot of complex aromas and flavors of herbs, flowers, citrus, and tropical fruits. It often has a nice creaminess when allowed to go through a malolactic fermentation. On the opposite end of the Dean Martin, that might work for this song is a bold, red Nebbiolo. Try them both and see what the music does for you! Whatever you choose, get it from the Italian section at the wine store because, well, That’s Amore!
Besame Mucho this song, sung by Andrea Bocelli is Wow! I’ve paired it with a beautiful medium-bodied Albariño made by Richard McDonald, 2023 New Mexico Winemaker of the Year. Richard is at the Rio Grande Winery in Las Cruces, New Mexico. I mean, you can’t go wrong with a Spanish-style wine and a Spanish-language song, right? I’m a huge fan of Albariño wine. I love it’s high acidity and notes of lemon zest, grapefruit, honeydew melons, and nectarines. Some Albariño wines have a bit of saltiness—especially the ones from Spain. Locally, I find Albariño to express a minerality that helps give it a nice sense of stability. You can find Albariño in the Spanish and Argentinian wine sections of your wine shop. If not, get Alvarinho, the Portuguese version. For a red option, try a Mencia or Garnacha. Non-Spanish options include Viognier or Gamay.
Lost in this Moment by Big and Rich is a great love song told from the prospective of a groom waiting for his bride to walk down the aisle. I have chosen the Rosé of Sangiovese made by the Padburg family of Vivàc Winery in Dixon, New Mexico. My friend, Michele Padburg, really thought I should pair this with Only You by the Platters. I was all set to do that until I randomly heard Lost in This Moment on a playlist while I was drinking the Rosé of Sangiovese. Vivàc ships their wine and there is really no alternative to this INTERNATIONALLY Award-Winning Rosé. It literally takes gold or double-gold at every competition they send it to. If you want to play this song or Only You for your own tasting, at least look for a high-quality varietal rosé. Your local winery is likely your best option.
We Are Never Getting Back Together by the one and only Taylor Swift! This is the break-up song I chose for my event. Look, I may be a Hallmark Movie Fanatic, but I’m not a romantic. I couldn’t have a straight up lovey-dovey event. This is my favorite song in the playlist and including a break-up song amuses me. I’ve chosen to serve Robert Jaramillo’s FLY BOY red blend. Jaramillo Vineyards are in Belen, New Mexico just south of Albuquerque and Fly Boy is one of Jaramillo Winery’s most popular wines. I think this wine is a great transition to the red wine portion of my tasting. Fly Boy is a smooth, fruity, full-bodied dry red wine made from French grapes. The name Fly Boy is a nod to Robert’s military service, but in this scenario, Taylor is telling her ex to Fly. Get away from me. We aren’t getting back together. Ever! As an alternative, this song would pair great with a Pinot Noir or Zinfandel. Don’t go for a white wine with this one.
All of Me You can’t have Valentine’s Day without a little sexy and this John Legend classic is sheer perfection. I’m telling you right now, this pairing is rated R. This sexy song is paired with the equally sexy Renaissance wine from Lescombes Family Vineyard. Shout out to their great marketing team who suggested this pairing. Renaissance is a Rhone-inspired blend with so much complexity, I don’t even know where to begin. This wine will captivate and embrace you with rich, deep fruit highlighted by warm baking spice notes. This wine is really popular and they are often out of it. You can substitute a Chateauneuf-du-Pape or a pre-2019 vintage Syrah from Walla Walla, Washington, or Santa Barbara County, California.
I Will Always Love You. If you asked me to name a love song, this Whitney Houston version would be my first choice every time! Every time I listen to this song, I’m compelled to open a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s just that kind of song. I’m pairing it, this month, with a 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve from Joseph Martinez at El Alamo Winery in Alcade, New Mexico. This wine has rich butterscotch and caramel notes from its short aging in bourbon barrels. It is so full-bodied and rich that I just had to end my Love Songs and Wine Pairings with Whitney and El Alamo. You can order from El Alamo or pick up your favorite Cabernet Sauvignon for a great Valentine’s Day pairing.
I had so much fun putting this pairing together for my local American Wine Society chapter. I had a lot of help from the wineries and winemakers who all reported having a great time with their teams coming up with suggestions. I didn’t take all of their suggestions for pairings, but I did select a wine from each winery who participated.
Please check out my ARCHIVE PAGE for other pairing ideas. This month, show me some love and comment on this post or EMAIL ME with any great wine and music pairings that work for you.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Until Next Time….
Cheers!
Wine of Enchantment 