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Through the years, February 14th has become the one day of the year where romance unveils itself all over the globe. To uncover this mystery and to really understand how to select the perfect wine for your Valentine, it is important to look at the earlier history and examine why this holiday is so important to our culture today.
According to one legend, in third century Rome, Emperor Claudius II thought that single men made better soldiers than married ones. Therefore, he outlawed marriages for young men (who made better soldiers) and only allowed elderly men to marry. Seeing the injustice of the new law, St. Valentine defied the legislation and continued performing marital rituals for young lovers--in secret. This angered Emperor Claudius II and decreed that St. Valentine be put to death. Other historians believe that St. Valentine may have been killed while assisting Christians escape the torture and harsh treatment of Roman prisons. While the theory of how St. Valentine died is still debated, what is certain is that the mystique and romance behind the holiday lives on to this day.
Another legend says St. Valentine actually composed and sent the first “Valentine” greeting card while he was in prison to a young girl (the jailor’s daughter, by some accounts) who would visit him during his sentence. Before he was sentenced to be executed, he allegedly sent her a farewell letter with the final words being “from your Valentine.” Since then, the name Valentine has become the word most often associated with various forms of eroticism and romance. It wasn’t until later, around 498 A.D., that Pope Gelasius declared February 14th to be Valentine’s Day. In other countries, such as England and France, February 14th was also the first day of the birds' mating season, further endorsing that date.
Then there's Cupid, the other patron saint of Valentine’s Day.
According to Greek mythology, Eros (son of Venus, the Goddess of Love was portrayed as a very handsome and charismatic man, so charming, that he could easily make both Gods and humans fall in love. His gold arrows could cause anyone to fall in love with the first person they saw but his lead arrows could easily make the person hate the first person they saw. In one famous story, Eros was credited with shooting a gold arrow at Apollo, the Sun God, who had fallen in love with a nymph named Daphne. As part of a cruel joke, he shot Daphne with a lead arrow that made her detest Apollo, despite his affections.
The ancient Romans were the first to change Eros to Cupid, who has been portrayed as mischievous through the years, often being shown wearing a blindfold in later illustrations, thus coining the term “love is blind.” It wasn’t until the Renaissance that artists began to give Cupid a more childlike appearance. Eventually Valentine greeting cards began using pictures of baby Cupid and the image became stuck in the minds of modern romantics.
The wine for your Valentine should have structure and be ageable, while at the same time be rich and lush with ethereal depth and complexity, just like your relationship, hopefully. The color should be stunning, with a deep red hue and pristine clarity to match the passion and essence of your heartfelt love. Ok, schmaltziness aside, wines I would recommend that are both versatile with food and appropriate for this occasion would be a beautiful Champagne Rosé like Billecart-Salmon, or a well-made California Pinot Noir or Red Burgundy. A French Sancerre is my go-to choice for a romantic white wine--and we all know that French is the language of love.
Sears is sommelier at Sears Wine and Spirits Catalogue and can be reached via email at searscatalogue@gmx.com.
