Fill a cup of joy for the perfect Saint Valentine 

Just close your eyes and imagine the perfect evening with your significant one. Be it at a romantic restaurant or in the intimacy of your home, perhaps in front of the fireplace, a glass of wine is the perfect complement. Now move one step forward from the imaginary scene and start working on transforming it into reality: start looking for that romantic bottle of wine that will make your partner smile. If you are both dreaming of an Italian getaway, the first step could well be the symbolic gift of sparkling Prosecco or dark red, elegant Pinot Nero. Sharing a bottle of the Nectar of the Gods will put you both in the right mood for love.

Speaking about classical gods, they are the protagonists of some famous legends connecting the divine, love, and wine. The most romantic god of ancient Egypt is credited with discovering the sweet fruit of the vine: Osiris, the sun god who was killed by his jealous brother Seth and brought back to life by the love of his moon-goddess wife, Isis.

Better known in popular culture is the Roman god of wine, Bacchus. If you know him as a chubby, red-nosed cartoon figure, you will think Bacchus is not really a romantic character. But check out the correspondent ancient Greek god, Dionysus, and you will be surprised: he is portrayed as a very handsome young man!

While travelling the world and teaching people to grow vines and make wine from sweet grapes, Dyonisus came across a sleeping beauty on the island of Naxos. That was the princess Ariadne, abandoned by Theseus after she helped him win the Minotaur and escape the Labyrinth. Dionysus was so charmed by the princess that he took her as his wife. In other words, wine can cure a broken heart!

Classical culture continued to celebrate the symbiosis of love and wine in ancient Rome. For example, the poet Ovid wrote a whole treaty on “The Art of Love” (Ars Amatoria), where he states that “wine and love have ever been allies”. The favorite drink of the gods “warms the blood and adds luster to the eyes.”

Here are a couple of tips to make the most of your romantic wine experience. First of all, don’t overdo it! A glass or two has a wonderful relaxing effect, stimulates a merry mood, and builds expectations for what will come after. But too many risks to make you sleepy instead!

Wine and chocolates? It is a great combination for a Valentine gift, but there is a little trick known to the connoisseur: do not consume them together unless you choose a sweet wine. Eating something sweeter than the wine will make the magic drink taste too harsh, even sour, in comparison. So unless you are the absolute expert in pairing gradations of sweet, don’t risk it – this is a tricky choice! Instead, opt for a well-planned dinner to enhance both food and wine tastes with the right combinations.