11 Sweet Wines for Valentine’s Day

This Valentine’s Day, why not show your sweetheart some love with a box of chocolates and a sweet bottle of wine that pairs perfectly? If sweet’s not your thing, try a bottle of wine that pairs with delicious Spanish desserts like flan, natillas, arroz con leche, or tocino de cielo. Or, if you prefer to keep things simple and/or focus on a single high-end Valentine’s Day gift, go for an aperitivo that’s significant enough to stand on its own.

Here are some of our favorite sweet red wines, sweet white wines, and sweet fortified wines to enjoy on this special day with your special someone. 

Sweet Sparkling Wines

Mionetto Moscato Dolce (left) from Italy has enticing aromas of honeysuckle and jasmine. Its gentle bubbles tickle your nose. It’s terrific on its own or paired with flan or tocino de cielo.

Caposaldo Sweet Sparkling Red is produced in Italy and consists of 55% Malvasia Nera and 45% Merlot. It’s lively and bubbly and has great fruit and floral aromas. We think it goes great with a New York City style strawberry short cake. 

Rosa Regale Sparkling Red Brachetto D’Acqui 2012 from Italy has a brilliant dark pink to light red color with aromas of red raspberries and rose petals. It’s playful and bubbly on the tongue and is a match made in heaven for your favorite milk chocolate truffles. 

Sweet White Wines

Roscato Bianco Dolce (left) from Italy has aromas and flavors of white flowers, peach conserves, and Granny Smith Apples. We had it with homemade apple pie…ask your abuela to make one for you; you’ll both love the pairing. 

S.A. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 2009 has a perfect balance of sweetness and crisp acidity. You can match it with fruit tarts, white chocolate, or enjoy a chilled glass by itself. 

Erasmo Late Harvest Torontel 2009 hails from Chile’s Maule Valley. The grape bunches are picked at the end of the harvest and then allowed to hang and air dry for three months, thus concentrating their sugars. The result is an ambrosial nectar with heady aromas and flavors of white peach, white flowers, and apricots. Try it at home with arroz con leche or natillas. 

Next, sweet red wines and sweet fortified wines… [pagebreak]

Sweet Red Wines

Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz 2013 (left) from the Western Cape of South Africa has aromas of ripe, juicy red and black berries with just a hint of dark cocoa powder. This is a great wine to enjoy on its own or with dark chocolate with raspberry filling.

Callia Bella Syrah and Malbec 2012 from Argentina is slightly sweet with flavors of purple violets and juicy black plums. We sampled it with a few different bars of pure dark chocolate. Whatever the brand, they were all winners.

Sweet Fortified Wines

Dry Sack Oloroso Solera Especial (left) from the Jerez region of Spain has a rich nutty aroma…think roasted hazelnuts and almonds. It’s elegant and smooth in the mouth and pairs perfectly with chocolate covered nuts and gianduja-based pastries.  

Florio Sweet Marsala from Sicily is great for cooking, but it’s also delicious by the glass or in a cocktail. Enjoy it on its own or paired with almond-based Tarta de Santiago from Galicia. 

Fonseca Bin 27 from Porto, Portugal has ripe red and black fruit aromas with just a touch of fresh roasted almonds. A box of Jacques Torres Truffles filled with Fonseca Bin 27 is an incredible Valentine’s Day treat. We both agree that you can’t get a much sweeter pairing.