No romantic meal is complete without a little sip of wine. Whether to help put your partner at ease after a stressful week at work, or to relax the nerves with a new romantic interest, celebrate the international day of love by throwing your significant other a wine tasting!

If you’re concerned about having multiple wine bottles uncorked in a single evening, why not invite your best friends over and make it a double date! You’ll be scoring some hosting points by looking generous with not just one but a selection of wine bottles ready to be served!

Start with some bubbly

As you celebrate your relationship, pop some bubbly into sparkly flutes as a way to start your evening. Want to make it even more special? Try a ‘kir’ – a French way of serving champagne mixed with a fruity liqueur; the most popular syrup options being crème de cassis (blackcurrant) or crème de mûre (blackberry).

For a more visual presentation, drop a chilled, small strawberry into your glass; or to double as a drink chiller, some frozen grapes.

Champagne is not just luxurious, it’s also versatile. Though commonly served as a welcome drink, it can also be served to accompany a dessert. So don’t worry if you don’t finish your bottle during the appetiser course, as you can simply use a bottle stopper and top off your champagne glasses again later in the evening.

Red or white, whatever you like!

Here’s a simple guide to organising a wine tasting:

• Prepare a selection of 3 to 5 wines.
  If your date prefers red, go with a few must haves such as a Merlot, a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Bordeaux, plus an extra such as a Shiraz or a Pinot Noir.
  
  If white is preferred, must-haves include a Sauvignon Blanc, a Chardonnay, a Pinot Grigio, and as a bonus, why not a Riesling.
  Or if neither of you lean white or red, then mix it up, and maybe even throw a rosé in there.
  
• Next, research simple tasting notes about each wine.
  For example, Sauvignon Blanc wines are known to be crisp, dry and sweet. Whereas a red Bordeaux is known to be fruity and concentrated.
  See if and your date can identify those tasting notes as you sip, and if you can identify those similar notes in the next wines you taste.
  
• Extend the romantic wine tasting session by guiding your date through the 5S’s of wine tasting with every glass.
  See, swirl, sniff, sip, and savour! This will also activate your senses, making you more perceptive to flavours and subtleties of each wine.
  
• For an extra touch, have tiny portions of food pairings for each bottle.
  For example, you can have a few cubes of cheese ready to go; a cheddar to match a Cabernet Sauvignon, and some goat cheese to match a Sauvignon Blanc. You can even throw in some fruit, such as some watermelon for your rosé, and some avocado for your Chardonnay.
  
• If you want to heighten the senses and turn up the sexy atmosphere, have a blindfolded round!

Even if not a wine connoisseur yourself, a wine tasting session can be a fun shared learning experience for both of you, and even an investment into improving your wine knowledge and vocabulary for the future.

Details matter: set up tips.

To really make this a Valentine’s to remember, don’t skimp on the details.
Have a checklist that includes to-dos like:  

• Having enough clean wine glasses ready for pouring (and not to interrupt the tasting by having to wash glasses in between).
• If going with the food pairings such as a cheese board, have your cheese pre-cubed and fruits already peeled and cut into bite size.
• If you’re having trouble fulfilling your wine shopping list, order them in advance from Lavowine, the largest online wine store in Malaysia. You can even drop them a message and ask for recommendations to round out your selection.
• Chill your wines ahead of time. Lavowine suggests 14 degrees Celsius as a good average, as this temperature is not just more pleasant for sipping and more refreshing, it’s also ideal for the tasting experience.
• Also #justsaying , a couple of scattered rose petals on Valentine’s day never fails to set the mood.

Want wine and champagne delivered right to your doorstep in time for Valentine’s? Checkout the list of wines from Lavo Wine. Freeze dried fruits are also available for purchase.

For a limited time only, enjoy FREE DELIVERY up to 25km when you order from GemSpot.