Valentine's Day Dinner

She Said:

In years past, we have gone out to a restaurant for Valentine's Day and in other years past, it simply wasn't important. Valentine's Day is really one of those made-up holidays and we don't normally fall into the whole cards-flowers-chocolate thing. But we do try to get a nice meal out of it!

Last night, we decided to stay home and cook, which is really becoming more and more prevalent in our lives. We do like our home-cooked meals! But we had been running around like crazy people all day so we sort of took a few short cuts. But not completely.

Our meal started with some baked clams (already prepared and ready to cook from Wegmans, our favorite grocery store - ever!) and Champagne. We went with our standard, Moet & Chandon White Star. It's tried and true.

For dinner, we had a twice-baked potato - absolutely heavenly with green onions, bacon, and Cheddar cheese - a small Spring mix salad with a tarragon vinaigrette, and a crab cake (also, already prepared and ready to cook from Wegmans). While Wegmans' crab cakes are only second on the list of best crab cakes (the ones we make are the best), they were still really, really good. We complemented the dinner very nicely with a Gary Farrell Sauvignon Blanc.

For dessert, we had some pre-made individual trifles (yes, from Wegmans). He had a chocolate/strawberry trifle and I had a vanilla/raspberry/white chocolate trifle. We paired them with a Stump Jump Sticky Chardonnay, which, admittedly, went better with my vanilla trifle than with His chocolate trifle. His would have been better with a glass of port, I think.

All-in-all, a fabulous dinner and remarkably well put-together for as little time as we spent planning it.

Happy Valentine's Day!

How Sweet It Is!

Three Rivers Late Harvest Gewürztraminer, $18 for 375 ml bottle

She Said:

I had my first sweet wine when I was about 20 years old. I was sipping port in front of a crackling fireplace, listening to Ella Fitzgerald. My next sweet wine was the sherry that I sipped sitting in front of a huge window that overlooked a beautiful marina in St. Michael's, MD many years later. The next time I had sweet wine was a bottle of port that He and I drank while listening to classical music and opera at the best B&B in the world in Eaton Center, NH.

I was totally hooked from the very start.

Sweet wines, for me, though, are rather situational. I wouldn't want to drink them on a regular basis for fear of them losing their "special." And they are special.

We are members of three monthly wine clubs here in Pennsylvania. They are three different levels of price but every month the themes are similar. This past month it was celebratory wines. We got three sweet wines to try. Last night, we finished the bottle of Three Rivers Late Harvest Gewürztraminer. We drank it over two nights. The first night was amazing because of the situation. We had had our Valentine's Day dinner and the Gewürztraminer was dessert. It was the perfect ending of the perfect meal. Last night was good, too, but not like that first night.

I do love those special occasions where I get to sit and drink in the wine and the wonder all around me. Sweet wines put the exclamation point on a great time for me. Whether it's port or sherry or ice wine or a late harvest anything, it's simply lovely.

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He Said:

Seriously, you had me at "Late Harvest". We had the opportunity to try Three Rivers Late Harvest Gewürztraminer the other night and man, that is some tasty drinkin' right there. Sweet, thick and just right when you're looking for just a little sump'n sump'n after a fine meal. It's not for everyday drinking but if you haven't tried a late harvest sweet wine on a nice, quiet evening with your significant other then you just haven't lived. So go grab some Billie Holiday, lower the lights, pour a little of this sweet nectar into your glass and share it with someone you love. Now that's a recipe we can all enjoy!