There will be a few of us who decide to stay home on Valentine’s Day, staring rapturously into to our lover’s eyes rather than sharing space with strangers. Here’s a guide to staying in with your honey, having a nice meal, a lush bottle of red wine, and watching an obscure but wonderful romance film.
Bread and Tulips is a sweet-hearted Italian love story about two unhappy folks who find each other and fall in love. It takes place in the most romantic of Italian cities – Venice. Make it a wonderful evening by starting with a nice Italian sparkling wine, like Zardetto’s brisk and clean Prosecco ($10). While enjoying that, put together a shellfish risotto with plenty of clams and mussels and a pinch of saffron. Pair the risotto with the Brich dij Nor Dolcetto di Dogliani ($16 and only available at the north Central Market), a soft wine with a nice fruity flavor. Curl up on something comfortable and enjoy the film with the wine left over from dinner.
For Roseanna was unfairly ignored by 99.9% of the viewing public. It’s a movie that vacillates between hilarious sight gags and thoughtful desire. Stars Jean Reno and Mercedes Ruehl are unconventional romantic leads, but they shine in this charming film. Stick with it to the end! This film goes great with a pizza. Order up your favorite, and have it along with the stunning new 2001 Lake Sonoma Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, a $16 wine that tastes twice the price.
For folks who like their romances bittersweet, search out Fa yeung nin wa (known in English as In the Mood for Love). Directed by one of Hong Kong’s brightest lights, Kar-Wai Wong, this film follows two people who are forced to decide between love and honor. Without ever showing a gratuitous sex scene, Fa yeung nin wa drips with sensual excitement. The perfect complement would be a big steaming hot plate of Salt and Pepper Scallops from T&S Seafood, washed down with Siduri’s suave Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($19), a wine with just enough spicy flavors to complement the seafood.
Of course, not everyone loves obscure films. So why not try the No. 1 most romantic film of all time, at least according to the American Film Institute – Casablanca. For this, nothing but champagne will do. Here, we have to slightly deviate from our theme of red wines for Valentine’s. However, if we drop the color by just a shade, to pink, we come upon some of the most amorous wines around. Champagne is always expensive, but one of the best is at a reasonable price – Nicolas Feuillatte’s Brut Rosé ($37). This wine has a figgy flavor that goes nicely with Moroccan Chicken and Carrot Tagine (find the recipe at food.hubcom.net/cgi-win/recipe.exe?3$2$1$36$342). An even better bottle of wine for a real celebration is Moët & Chandon’s Vintage Brut Rosé ($70), a wine so good you might just want to sip it alone.
This article appears in February 6 • 2004.
