©2007, The Birmingham Post
February can seem such a depressing month. Stuck in drab mid-Winter, the Christmas and New Year celebrations are but a distant memory, and the longer, brighter days of Spring still seem a long way off. With a desperate need for some fun and frivolity, the timing of St. Valentine's Day could not be better. There is nothing like a whiff of romance to puncture the gloom, and a suitable tipple to whet the appetite.
Undoubtedly, the best way of putting sparkle into your love-life is a glass of bubbly. It need not be Champagne, as there are some excellent alternatives, especially for the more patriotic who would prefer an English sparkling wine.
Several of the top producers are now being taken very seriously, with prices to compare with Champagne itself. This is not altogether surprising, as the downlands of Kent, Surrey and Sussex share the same band of chalk which surfaces on the other side of the Channel in, of all places, Champagne. Given that the climate in this part of Britain is the driest and most continental, it is the ideal location for growing grapes with low sugar and high acid levels, the pre-requisite for high-quality sparkling wine.
The historic problem with English producers is that they have been advised to focus their attention on growing inferior hybrids, such as Seyval Blanc. The primary reason is that they can tolerate the cool, damp climate, but the end-product is a mediocre wine, with vegetally characters.
Pioneers such as Nyetimber in Sussex, realised from the outset that, to make great sparkling wine, it was necessary to replicate the classic Champagne varieties of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Crowned the "Best Sparkling Wine Outside Champagne", the Nyetimber Classic Cuvée 1998 has crisp lime citrus and green hazelnut flavours, with great refinement and elegance. Priced from £21.99, stockists include Waitrose, House of Fraser and leading independents.
A second medal-winner is the Ridgeview Merrett Bloomsbury 2003 (£16.99), listed by Waitrose and the Wine Society, with delicious lemon, brioche and hazelnut characters. Highly commended, too, is Denbies Greenfields (£16.99, tel: 01306.876616), with high-toned minerally citrus flavours, evolving to a creamy nut finish.
Amongst the best-value sparklers, using the "traditional" method, are from the Loire Valley. They share the elegance and lightness of Champagne, but often use Chenin Blanc in whites and Cabernet Franc in Rosés.
Consistently impressive is the impeccable range from Gratien & Meyer, recognised, in particular, by the Wine Society, who have just celebrated 100 years working with Alfred Gratien. Particularly commended are the "own-label" Saumur (£6.50) and Cremant (£8.50). The former has pear and citrus flavours, whereas the latter, with a greater percentage of Chardonnay, has greater refinement. In addition to the Brut, Connollys list their Rosé (£8.95) and Oddbins the top-of-the-range Flamme d'Or (£10.99).
On special occasions, though, it's sometimes necessary to splash out, and I can think of no bigger impact than the Krug Grande Cuvée (£84 at leading merchants). At a simplistic level, it tastes of citrus, toast, butter and hazelnuts but, like any great wine, undergoes a magical transformation with every sip. Their latest release is the 1995 (Nickolls & Perks, Tanners, House of Fraser), to which can be added flavours of nougat, green apples, apricots and cream.
A sparkling rosé will always add to the romance and, recently, I enjoyed the highly creditable Veuve Clicquot Vintage Rosé 2000 (c£40 leading merchants). A crisp start mutated into powerful red fruit and chocolate characters, which remained on the palate for a long time.
Surprisingly, a full-flavoured Rosé champagne can be paired with a not-too-sweet, lightly-flavoured chocolate dessert, but anything too cloying or sweet simply destroys the flavour. Champagne, though, does combine well with cheese and, in particular, mature Champagne and Parmesan is a match made in heaven.
These days, my favourite cheese pairings are with sweet white wine. Rather than Port and Stilton, a far superior combination is blue cheese and Sauternes. Asda list the excellent Haut Bergeron 2002 (£9.56 half bottle) and I absolutely adore the honeyed peach, apricot and vanilla flavoured Saussignac, Chateau Miaudoux 2002 (£11.20 50 cl bt, Tanners). For a more mature barley-sugar style, the Lafaurie-Peyraguey 1995 (Tanners £14.20 per half) is simply divine.
Death-by-chocolate is a term entirely appropriate to most wine. The thick, cloying texture is simply too much, so the best solution is to match not only the sweetness, but the weight, and here fortified wines come to the fore.
As far as whites are concerned, Muscat is in its element, particularly where it develops orange or marmalade characters (think Terry's Chocolate Orange). The finest come from Muscat à Petits Grains, encountered in Vins Doux Naturels (VDNs) across Southern France.
A wonderfully consistent performer, the best-value, is Sainsbury's St. Jean de Minervois (£3.99 half bt). It's listed, too, by Tanners, who also stock the very classy Domaine des Bernadins (£8.70 half bt), a Muscat de Beaumes de Venise. Much in the same vein is the Greek Samos Nectar (£9.95). For more maturity, the 1982 Arnaud de Villeneuve (£10.99) is exceptional.
Using the Grenache variety, the French also make some deliciously sweet VDNs, principally under the appellations Maury and Banyuls. Comparable to Port, they're a bit lighter, but still combine well with chocolate. Chapoutier's Banyuls and Mas Amiel's Maury are two names worth seeking out, and may be stocked by Chouchoute, the chocolatiers in Great Western Arcade. Failing that, try Domaine Pouderaux Maury (£9.99 Waitrose).
The orange-peel characters of Aged Tawny also make a fine match. My preference is for the Noval 10 Year Old (£15.30 Tanners), with Taylor's 10 Year Old (Tesco £16.99) a fraction behind. A Crusted or LBV style produces more upfront chocolate characters and, from past experience, I would plump for Niepoort LBV 2000 (£14.10 Tanners).
So there you are - with the most romantic day of the year just a week away, there's no excuse not to find a perfect match, and a perfect tipple to boot.