In the Valentine’s Day trenches avoid the cheap bubbly
Sorry to burst your bubble, but that champagne you buy tonight might be a cynical exercise in tacky marketing.
“Remember, gentlemen, it’s not just France we are fighting for, it’s champagne!”
That’s Winston Churchill, a man whose appetite for Pol Roger was legendary, motivating the British forces during World War II. It’s probably safe to say (if not a historical fact) that it was the fear of losing their precious fermented grape drink that turned the tide of war. After all, who wants to live in a world without champagne?
But now champagne has been enlisted in a new war, the horrors of which Churchill couldn’t have imagined. Tonight, thousands of young champagnes will march off to battle across the great dining plains of Australian restaurants. Many will lose their heads. Effervescent blood will be spilled. D-Day? Or Valentine’s Day? Because with the exception of New Year’s Eve, more champagne is drunk on Valentine’s Day than on any other.
You know the drill. You’re deployed to the restaurant, commanded to find your table in a sea of two-tops. You’ve got a set menu and an out-by time — somewhere around 0800 hours. These are your orders, and this is your station for the night. And you’re thirsty. Where’s that wine list? But no — you’ve got different instructions tonight. Here comes your waiter, who barks: “As a special treat we’re pouring, and you’re drinking, this widely popular but otherwise average champagne. It’s only $28. It’s Valentine’s Day. What are you? Some kind of cheapskate?”
“No, sir,” you mumble. Shame on you to think you could put a price on love. You’ll take two.
This is a commercial holiday, and most restaurants capitalise on your loyalty to romance and to the champagne brand. But the champagne they’re pouring is generally bought in bulk from the larger, well-known houses, which typically offer a less-than-premium product. Valentine’s Day special? Read “mercilessly overpriced”.
And why bother when there are many alternative wines that capture the essence of Valentine’s Day just as well, if not better, than champagne. For example, gone are the days when our local fizz struggled to compete on the world stage, and regions such as Tasmania and the Adelaide Hills are producing fine Australian sparkling. Deviation Road Brut Rose NV ($55) has a more aggressive sparkle than its French counterparts, but you’ll be refreshed by strawberries-and-cream aromatics and a lasting palate of red cherry and pomegranate (www.deviationroad.com).
Central Otago and certain parts of Burgundy offer richer, romantic styles of pinot noir that are perfect for those in the throes of longing. Deep, sensual fruit flavours, tinged with cocoa and dark spice. I’d put these wines in the “sexy” category.
If you’re at the stage in your relationship where your heart is bounding around like a puppy trying to get outside, then do just that. Forget the restaurant, grab a lively rose or white and head to one of the myriad outdoor concerts, movies or plays that spring up in summer. I’m enjoying the wines of Vignerons Schmolzer and Brown for outdoor drinking. With fruit from Beechworth and the King Valley, their 2016 Pret-a-Rose (sangiovese, pinot noir) and 2016 Pret-a-Blanc (riesling, gewurtztramier, pinot gris) have enough flesh, texture and savoury acidity to soak up the summer sun ($26, www.vsandb.com.au)
And if you’ve forgotten to go to the florist, you can always buy wine that smells like flowers. Northern Italian whites such as soave have a floral profile with aromas of stone fruit blossom and petals. Or head further west to Piedmonte where the native grape nebbiolo is renowned for smelling like roses. Make your date say “Awww …” with the 2014 Albino Rocca Nebbiolo d’Alba. The grapes are from a small parcel in the famed Barbaresco Cru of Montersino. Softly spiced with notes of crushed roses, the tannins are just slightly drying and elegant. Perfumed and well balanced (www.albinorocca.com). I’m not telling you to disregard champagne this Valentine’s day. But drink it because you want to, not because it’s expected of you. Experiment and you may find something you love. And keep your head down, soldier; the corks are going to be flying tonight.