Will you be my Valent-wine? Here are the most romantic tipples
I'll be celebrating with a glass or two with my beloved, tonight – something my 16-year-old self would never have imagined as she was so desperately trying to decipher the handwriting on the card put through my locker, against that of the boy I was so in love with (James, if you're reading this – and it wasn't you – please don't pop my bubble of belief...)
Beyond my teenage heartbreaks, I've never really been swept up in the Hallmark frenzy – I even spent one stormy Valentine's Day visiting the site of the Battle of Culloden (if you don't know what that is, look it up, it's not a rose petal strewn palace). But I do know that from an early age, our relationship to love is informed by our relationship to what we eat and drink.
And I'm convinced that one of the reasons I fell so deeply in love with food and wine is thanks to my Nanna teaching me from a young age that all food needed one extra ingredient: 'oomph'. Asking what 'oomph' was, she replied with the word: 'love'.
How does this apply to wine? I'd argue that at its most elemental level, the process of winemaking is a loving one. Nurturing your vines, tending to them carefully throughout the year, harvesting them, creating an environment for the juice to ferment, giving the wine a space to age and mature into something that will be enjoyed by countless people – not just by the winemaker and their family and friends, but in homes around the world.
Used in various rituals – from celebrations, anniversaries, reunions, even holy communion – it is a product that can bring people together in joyous union. And yes, wine can be sexy, too. Research proves that even a moderate amount of red wine can have a positive effect on libido in both men and women – in an Italian study carried out in Chianti in 2009, researchers found that women who consumed a daily (low to moderate) amount of red wine reported a higher score on the Female Sexual Function Index than both teetotallers and heavy drinkers. Surely something to get excited about!
But what makes a wine romantic? I've selected a number of wines that I feel embody some of the more sensual elements of the drink – whether it's the heady bubbles of a sparkling wine, the committed winemaking techniques of a grower, the ethereal fruit of a lighter red or the depth and concentration of something fuller bodied and richer.
Wine is such a subjective product – but perhaps these suggestions can serve as a jumping point to exploring more visceral pleasures (of the bottle, of course).
Champagne Billecart Salmon, Le Rosé , France, NV
Available nationwide, including The Wine Society £66, 12 per cent ABV
Of all the styles of wine that are available, none can compete with the utterly unashamed romantic nature of champagne. And, while it might seem like a cliché, a fine rosé champagne is the most romantic of them all.
I have picked what I see as a benchmark romantic champagne from the wonderful – and still family-owned – house of Billecart Salmon. The delicate light rose-pink-tinged wine is a blend of 40 per cent chardonnay, 30 per cent pinot noir and 30 per cent pinot meunier, which is then aged for 36 months on its lees (those delicious dead yeast cells).
An added layer of depth and body comes from the 40 per cent of reserve wines being used. It has weaving, languorous bubbles and a silken delicate mouth feel with many layers from the primary fruits of wild strawberries, ripe raspberry and tangerine, giving way to soft baked buttery pastries, all brought together with uplifting acidity. It's a treat of a wine – and you deserve it.
M&S Ken Forrester Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc, South Africa, 2024
In-store and online via Ocado, £13, 13 per cent ABV
While the label might be anything but romantic, this chenin blanc created by the South African 'King of Chenin' Ken Forrester is a wonderful expression of this most expressive of grapes. Chenin has the ability to create wines that are steely bone dry, right through to unctuous honeyed elixirs.
I have long admired Ken Forrester and his 'loving' approach to wine. He has a very hands-on approach to the stewardship of the land he farms and the people he works with – and has a clear philosophy that if every community looked after their own, 'no-one would go wanting... each bottle is a victory and represents a small change – for the better – in someone's life'.
The wine itself is a medium bodied dry style of chenin, with a ripe stone fruit and pineapple character which comes through alongside lemon curd and bright acidity.
Jour de Soif Bourgueil, Domaine du Bel Air, France, 2020
In-store and online Berry Bros & Rudd, £23.95, 13 per cent ABV
I adore wines that give you moments to pause and linger with the person you're enjoying them with, whether a romantic or platonic love. Sharing that moment together, fading out all of the other noise and focusing only on the wine and the company.
This lighter style of cabernet franc opens itself up to reveal a wine brimming with crushed cranberries, sour cherries and juicy, tart blackcurrants all balanced alongside energetic acidity and smooth tannins.
M&S Primitivo Di Manduria, Notte Rossa, Italy, 2023
In-store and online via Ocado, £12, 13.5 per cent ABV
If you think chocolates are romantic, why not try a wine that tastes like them? The characteristics of primitivo from Puglia in Southern Italy always make me think of rich, dark chocolate-covered strawberries.
It is deep, generous and concentrated with ripe black plums, juicy cherries, licks of vanilla and a dusting of cinnamon spice, too. Perfectly indulgent.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Scotsman
The furious letter of a Jacobite wife written after a visit from the cruellest of Redcoats
Sign up to our History and Heritage newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Written on the roughest of paper almost 280 years ago, it was a letter penned in fury by a mother, a wife and Jacobite as her home lay destroyed around her. Isabel Haldane, of Ardsheal House at Appin in Argyll, wrote the letter in August 1746 as the British Army tore through the countryside hunting for Bonnie Prince Charlie, his supporters and all things Jacobite to annihilate following the Battle of Culloden. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Isabel Haldane, wife of Charles Stewart of Ardsheal, who led the Appin Army onto the battlefield at Culloden. PIC: Contributed. | Contributed The letter complains of the conduct of Captain Caroline Frederick Scott, of Edinburgh, who searched for her husband, Charles Stewart of Ardsheal, who led the Appin Army onto the battlefield on April 16, 1746. Loch Linnhe beach close to the original Ardsheal House which was burned down by British forces following Culloden. PIC: Reid. | Reid READ MORE: The lost children of the 1745 Jacobite rising As the Jacobite commander hid out in a cave on nearby Ben Bheith, Isabel - who earlier told her husband that if he didn't lead the men to fight, she would - defended the couple's home and large family. With no senior Jacobite to be found, Captain Scott, who earned the reputation as the cruellest operator during these days of reprisals , got to work. As the family watched, trees were pulled down, the orchard was destroyed, and every slate tile and piece of timber was removed in order to sell at Fort William. READ MORE: The Jacobites who fought on after Culloden Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Food was taken - even a small amount of butter - and pots and pans were removed so no one could eat. After he finished, Captain Scott asked for Isabel's keys, offered her his hand and told her to go. She handed over her keys, but stayed - and found the piece of paper instead. Not silenced nor scared, she wrote to Major John Campbell, a future Duke of Argyll, about the conduct of his officer. A Thomas Gainsborough portrait of Major John Campbell, 5th Duke of Argyll, who received the letter from Isabel Haldane about her treatment at the hands of one of his officers. | CC She wrote: 'I cannot understand that any man especially bred in a civilized country and good company could be so free of compassion or anything at all of the gentleman to descend to such a low degree of meanness. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "I begged [ ... ] but he would not allow me so much as the smallest of my pots to dress a little victuals for my children, no spoon or knife or fork or even a blanket, nor no kind of linen." Signing off, she wrote: 'Excuse the coarseness of the paper, my good friend Captain Frederick Scott leaving me none better.' The letter was found deep in the papers of Major Campbell, held by the National Library of Scotland, by author Maggie Craig. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Craig is the author of Damn Rebel Bitches, which examines the role of women in the 1745 Rising. The letter was central to a recent talk given by Ms Craig as part of Jacobite Week at the West Highland Museum in Fort William. READ MORE: The Jacobites turned slave owners after Culloden Ms Craig said: 'Here we have this woman who was defending her house, looking after her children, making sure people had enough to eat. She was a very strong character, and the letter was furious. 'Captain Caroline Frederick Scott took everything - even her pots and pans . He didn't leave her a pan, so she could make food for her children. 'Isabel was incredibly bold. She said to her husband 'if you don't take the men out, I will'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Being a lady, she had a little protection, but I think the fear would have been huge. This was war, and they spoke about it like it was war .' Author Maggie Craig | contributed Ms Craig said she believed that Isabel Haldane may have known Captain Scott given the wording and contents of the letter. 'I wondered how she would know he was raised in good company,' she said. 'I think they must have known of each other. They were both gentry and both around the same age. Isabel was from Lanwick near Doune, and would have gone to Edinburgh to socialise.' READ MORE: The woman who headed Jacobite intelligence in Scotland Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ardsheal left for France in September 1746, but Captain Scott's persecution of his wife and children continued, Ms Craig said. The redcoat returned to Ardsheal House in December and set it on fire, with Isabel taking shelter in a barn. There, she gave birth to a daughter with Captain Scott then calling once more. According to accounts, he told her: 'I do think your husband was a great fool to join the rebels and to leave you and your children without a home.' Ms Craig added: 'But it was him who left them without a home'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In the letter, Isabel asked Major Campbell for a 'pass', so that she could take her children to part of the 'Low Country' for her education. Isabel then moved to the Stirling area and later joined her husband in France, where he died in 1757. She later returned to England and moved to Northampton, where she died in the Peacock Inn. She is buried close by. The Appin Army was made up of mostly Stewarts and MacColls, with MacLarens, Carmichaels, MacIntyres, MacCormacks and Livingstones among the ranks. They lost 92 men at Culloden in the charge of the right wing of the Prince's army, with the great-grandfather of explorer Dr David Livingstone and Isabel's nephew, George Haldane of Lanrick, among them. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A depiction of the Battle of Culloden, fought on April 16, 1746. PIC: Ann Ronan Pictures/|After Culloden, Captain Scott became a type of 'poster boy' for suppression of the Jacobites, with his diary featuring in the Scots Magazine. Ms Craig said he took 'a clear pleasure in destruction, harrying and burning' his way through the Highlands. She said: 'He received a message from Cumberland himself at High Bridge in early June 1746, to the effect that he should not burn any more houses that day. He declined to recall the party he had sent on ahead to do just that.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Captain Scott said, according to accounts: 'It is no matter. Let them proceed in the burning. They are not in the knowledge of the orders.' It was on the same day that his patrol encountered three men near Glen Nevis, who were on their way to Fort William to surrender their weapons. Ms Craig said: 'The captain arranged an impromptu hanging, executing them by means of the ropes of a salmon net slung over a mill-spout. According to contemporary accounts, the men were laughing as the redcoats put the ropes around their necks, thinking that this was meant only to frighten them. They were wrong. 'Captain Scott gave the order and they were hanged there and then.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Craig said that potential finds waiting for historians in the country's archives always 'amazed' her.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Stop 'musty' smell from building up in washing machines with simple £1 solution
Nasty smells in the washing machine drum are one of the most common household complaints but there is a simple solution to stop the smell from building up If you've ever gone to hang the washing up and cringed at that acrid, musty odour wafting from the washing machine drum, you're certainly not alone. Foul smells in the washing machine are amongst the most common household issues, and countless people have no clue where the stench is originating from. Professional plumber James Clarkson, who has worked on residential and commercial plumbing systems across the UK for over 15 years, said: "The smell usually comes from trapped detergent residue, fabric softener, and lint mixing with warm, damp conditions. "This creates the perfect breeding ground for mould and bacteria. Once that builds up behind the drum or in the rubber seal, the machine can quickly start smelling." Stop spiders entering the home this mating season with two simple rules Brits told to put dishwasher tablets in microwave for 'game-changing' reason If you want to get your washing machine spotlessly clean, and prevent that revolting smell from developing there is a straightforward and incredibly affordable solution. The expert recommends a simple £1 household staple: bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), reports the Express. James said: "Baking soda is a natural deodoriser and mild abrasive. "When you run it through the machine, it helps break down soap scum and neutralises odours without damaging the drum or pipes. Most households already have a box in the kitchen cupboard, and it costs about a pound." How to clean your washing machine with baking soda Add half a cup of baking soda directly into the drum. Run an empty hot wash cycle (60°C or higher). For extra freshness, add a splash of white vinegar in the detergent drawer to cut through limescale. This simple routine can be repeated once a month to keep odours at bay. It's also crucial to maintain regular upkeep of your machine to prevent odours accumulating. A simple way to keep stenches at bay is to ensure you ventilate your washing machine properly. Avoid leaving damp laundry in the machine for extended periods, and ensure to leave the door slightly ajar after each wash to allow the drum to dry out.
The Guardian
6 days ago
- The Guardian
Monastic music that survived Henry VIII's dissolution brought back to life
Almost five centuries ago a community of monks in the West Country of England gathered to sing, imploring their God to help them endure the challenges of medieval life. Thanks to an extraordinary discovery of music that survived Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries in the early 16th century, the songs created by the Buckland Abbey monks were ringing out again across the hills and woods of the Tavy valley in Devon this weekend. The themes are heavy – the threats from disease and crop failures, not to mention powerful rulers – but the polyphonic style is bright and joyful, a contrast to the sort of mournful chants most associated with monks. 'It's an extraordinary rich, textured sound,' said Prof James Clark, a University of Exeter historian, as the university's chapel choir rehearsed at Buckland. 'They're all singing together but following different melodies. It's a sort of melodious cacophony of sound.' Clark found the music while researching Buckland Abbey for the National Trust. Only one book – rather boringly setting out the customs the monks followed – was known to exist, held in the British Library. 'I didn't hold out a great deal of hope it would suddenly open up the lost world of Buckland Abbey,' said Clark. But in the back of the Buckland Book, he came across some leaves of parchment. 'Those leaves contained pieces of chant – text and notation. Though there were 800-plus monasteries in medieval England, you can count almost on one hand pieces of music that survived. 'The Tudor state scrapped Latin worship and the lyrics and music that went with it were largely discarded. Most of this stuff is lost. But there it was, shoved into the back of the book.' The bulk of the book was written in the 15th century but Clark was able to date the music to the early 16th century. 'That made it especially exciting because it transports us to that last generation of monks of the medieval English tradition that had been there for a millennium,' he said. It chimed with another Buckland document from the same era. 'By extraordinary serendipity, it turned out to be the contract for the employment of an organist and choirmaster.' His name was Robert Derkeham, and he would have been hired to improve the singing of the dozen monks who lived at Buckland and the local boys brought in to sing the treble parts. Clark said it was clear that, as well as worshipping God, the monastery was trying to impress patrons by creating wonderful music. 'Monasteries were competing in a very crowded marketplace for investment from patrons,' he said. 'One of the strategies was to upgrade the music. Buckland bought in expertise to turn what may have been a rather ragged choir into something more professional. They were being responsive to cultural change, keeping up with the times and impress their audience.' Derkeham remained at the monastery for more than 15 years, until it was closed and he was pensioned off. Clark said the text was dark. 'It is calling out to what we might call an Old Testament God. One calls out to God to defend his people; one says, 'stay the hand of the avenging angel'; one talks about being in despair. 'I like that sense that it carries us back to a moment in time. In our world, medieval religion is becoming ever more difficult for us to grasp. I think this helps us return to an understanding that it was a sensory experience,' said Clark. 'If we're going to do these people who died 500 years ago some sort of justice as historians, we've got to understand the world as they saw it and as experienced it.' The book has been loaned to Buckland by the British Library and can be viewed at the abbey. The University of Exeter Chapel Choir will perform the music live in Buckland Abbey's medieval Great Barn on 16 and 17 August.
